AJ's Story
by Pokemon Ranger-Trainer
Summary: The Chipmunks and Chipettes were happily married and even happier parents...for a while. Recently, Alvin and Brittany have been fighting and can only agree on one thing: a divorce. How will this affect AJ, their 8 and 1/2 year old son? Can Simon and Jeanette help? What if Alvin and Brittany get back together? More importantly, will they? Alvin's ex goes on a rampage.
1. Fighting Again

**I don't own Alvin and the Chipmunks. I can claim ownership for their kids. CGI, though I'm sure this would be a better cartoon plotline. Especially since I put in a cartoon character form the cartoon series. Just one of my random ideas. Warning: domestic violence, etc. Rated T for said reasons.**

**Chapter 1: Fighting Again**

The Chipmunks and Chipettes were now happily married adults and parents…for a while. Alvin and Brittany haven't been so happy about their marriage lately.

"Marrying you was a mistake!" Brittany screamed at her husband.

"Knowing you is a mistake!" Alvin countered.

The bickering couple was in their bedroom. Their son, AJ, was in his bedroom, scared out of his mind because he had to deal with his parents fighting every night. He buried his face in the sweatshirt his father gave him on his 8th birthday. That sweatshirt was once Alvin's; now it was Alvin Junior's (hence the nickname AJ). That was six months ago, when they were a happy family.

"I can't think of one good thing that came out of our marriage!" Brittany shouted. AJ gasped lightly. Wasn't he a good thing? Or did his mother hate him? Then, he heard the sound of glass breaking. His parents began screaming indistinctly. He wished more than anything at that moment that his bedroom had soundproof walls. Alas, it was but a wish. He began to cry. The fighting briefly stopped.

"Great, you scared AJ!" Alvin yelled.

"No, you scared him!" Brittany yelled back.

"You scare me! Just one look at you is enough to kill someone!" Alvin pressed on.

"Oh, no you didn't!" Brittany gasped.

"I believe I did!" Alvin snapped. The sound of breaking glass rang out again. AJ was hugging his knees and whimpering. It was a nightmare he always relived. Every night. No eight-and-a-half-year-old should have to live through this. So why was AJ? Then, AJ heard another breaking sound, and then he had heard the sound of Brittany crying in pain.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it," AJ whispered through his tears. "Stop fighting…" And so, he cried himself to sleep.

When morning came around, Brittany was the first one out of bed. She went into the kitchen, checked the phone, and found one new message. She muttered something along the lines of, "Stupid Alvin…", and played the message.

"Hey, Brittany, it's Ellie!" the message played in Eleanor's voice. "I was just wondering if you and Alvin, both junior and senior, wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow. I have exciting news! If so, please call back. Bye!"

Brittany picked up the phone and dialed Theodore and Eleanor's number. Her sister picked up.

"Hello?" Eleanor greeted.

"Hey, Ellie, it's Britt!" Brittany greeted.

"Morning, Britt! You got my message!" Eleanor exclaimed cheerily.

"Yeah. What's this big news?" Brittany implored to be enlightened by her sister.

"Nuh-uh, it's a surprise. I'll tell you when you get here."

"Okay, sis. Are you sure you want Alvin there? Can't I bring just AJ?"

"I want the whole family here! Or at least, since our houses are chipmunk sized—thank goodness for Dave—every family member who can fit. Why don't you want Alvin here?" Eleanor asked suspiciously.

"…No reason."

"Okay…see you tonight!" Eleanor hung up.

AJ emerged from his room. His hazel eyes were distraught. He was still freaked out from the night before. Brittany smiled at her son. "Guess what, AJ. You're getting to see all of your cousins tonight!"

But AJ's mind was elsewhere. "Mom, why are you and Dad fighting?"

Brittany could not find an acceptable answer, so she let out a heaving sigh and said, "It's complicated, sweetie."

Alvin came out of the master bedroom, and received a bitter glare from his wife. He just yawned it off, looked at AJ, and said, "Morning, AJ." It was as if seeing AJ changed his mood completely. He ruffled his son's hair.

"Alvin, we're going to my sister's place tonight. Don't make a fool of yourself," Brittany said flatly as she put a piece of bread in the toaster.

"Relax. Remember, both of your sisters are married to both of my brothers," Alvin slyly replied.

"How is that supposed to reassure me?"

"Why are so hard to please?"

"Well, maybe if you got off of your lazy…tail, I wouldn't be so bitter!" Brittany snapped, choosing her words carefully around AJ.

"Maybe if you didn't step on my tail every night—!" Alvin tried to counter.

"I am not…talking about this in the morning," Brittany said firmly. There was a pained look in her ice blue eyes. Her attention shifted back to the toaster. "By the way, the sweatshirt you gave AJ is too big for him."

"He'll grow into it. I know because he's my son," Alvin said and knelt down beside AJ. "Besides, he looks kind of cute in an oversized sweatshirt."

"That was manly," his wife scoffed sarcastically. She glanced at the scowl he was giving her. Then, for AJ's sake, and to admit the truth, she agreed, "But I do think it looks cute when it's oversized." She looked at her son. She gazed into his delicate, eight-year-old hazel eyes and forced a smile.

"Are we seeing Aunt Jeanette or Aunt Eleanor?" AJ asked his mother.

"Aunt Eleanor, sweetie, but I think Aunt Jeanette will be there, too."


	2. Dinner Fiasco

**Chapter 2: Dinner Fiasco**

Later that evening, after a bitterly quiet afternoon, AJ was happy to see some other relatives. He greeted his cousin Jake. "Hey, Jake."

"Hello, AJ," Jake returned the greeting. He adjusted his glasses.

"Hi, AJ!" Jake's sister, Sadie, greeted. She had lavender eyes and matching glasses. She always had a cheerful personality that AJ couldn't help but smile at. "What do you think Aunt Eleanor's big news is?"

"I don't know," AJ answered. Their cousin Dominic ran downstairs to greet everyone.

"Hi, cousins!" Dominic greeted.

"Hi, Dominic!" Sadie greeted. "What's your mommy's big news?"

"I can't tell," Dominic shook his head and smiled.

"Aunt Eleanor has the whole house sworn to secrecy," Jake commented. "Dominic, where's your sister?"

"Upstairs. She's trying to find a board game," Dominic answered.

"Dominic, four is a great age," AJ said randomly to his little cousin.

"Okay…"

"You seem distant, AJ. What's the matter?" Jake asked.

"Nothing," AJ lied. He was still a little shaken form what his mother said to his father and namesake the night before. The part where she said nothing good came out of their marriage. _He _came out of their marriage. Was he a mistake? Was he born by accident? He just didn't understand.

Meanwhile, the adult chipmunks, excluding Eleanor, were in the kitchen. Alvin asked Theodore, "C'mon, Theo, what's your wife's big surprise?"

"I'm not supposed to tell," Theodore simply said.

"Alvin, you know nothing about being persuasive," Brittany stepped forward. "Theodore—"

"I'm sworn to secrecy, Brittany," Theodore stood strong.

"I'll bake you a cake."

"…That's very tempting…but no."

"A chocolate cake."

"…"

"With a picture of your face made out of frosting."

"…"

"Lots of sprinkles."

"…Honey, she's wearing me down!" Theodore ran upstairs.

"Yeah, you're very persuasive," Alvin said sarcastically to his wife.

"I guess we'll just have to wait," Simon concluded.

"I'll go play with the kids," Jeanette said and went out into the living room. She greeted her son, daughter, and nephews. "Hi, kids. Dominic, where's Lucy?"

"Trying to find a board game," Dominic answered.

"Why would you bribe him with cake? Are you trying to giving my brother food poisoning? Those pastries you made gave me food poisoning!" Alvin was yelling at Brittany in the kitchen.

"Oh, no, not again!" AJ whimpered. Jeanette gave him a worried gaze.

"Well, at least he would have appreciated the effort, unlike someone I know!" Brittany countered.

"Really? I don't think he'd appreciate food poisoning!" Alvin pressed on.

"Oh, blow it out you—!"

"Hey, hey, hey, stop it! Our children are out there!" Simon tried to break up the fight.

"Okay, I'm finally out of the bathroom! Who's ready to eat?" Eleanor announced on her way downstairs, with Theodore and their daughter, Lucy, in hot pursuit. Lucy was holding the Game of Life.

"It took you that long to pick?" Sadie asked.

"I couldn't find it!" Lucy defended. She looked at her older cousin AJ and smiled. "Hi, AJ! You're a little late!" Lucy was seven years old, a year younger than AJ and Jake, but a year older than Sadie. She was the third born Seville of her generation in her family.

"Hi, Lucy," AJ greeted, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Within five minutes, everyone was gathered at the table with full plates. There was an array of fruits, vegetables, meat, and bread. Jeanette said, "Oh, you guys, you didn't need to do all of this."

"So, what's the big news?" Alvin asked.

"Yeah, the suspense is killing us!" Brittany, for the first time in a while, agreed with her husband.

"Okay…you're all going to jump out of your seats. I'm…pregnant! I've been blessed with the gift of having a third baby!" Eleanor announced ecstatically. Cheers and congratulations were displayed, along with applause.

"Aunt Ellie, is it a boy or a girl?" Sadie asked. She was excited to have a new baby cousin. She was older than Dominic, but she was still younger than the rest of her cousins and her brother. Simon hoisted his little girl onto his lap, and Sadie let out a giggle and hugged him.

"It's too early to tell. Besides, I like a surprise!" Eleanor said with a huge grin.

"That makes one of us," Alvin grumbled, happy for his sister-in-law, but frustrated that he had to wait so long to be informed.

"Don't be rude!" Brittany snapped. "I hope AJ doesn't end up like you!"

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you think I'm not a good parent?"

"If that's what she's saying, I have to disagree with her. Ever since AJ was born, you've taken raising him seriously and with passion," Simon vouched as he held Sadie in his arms and lap. He stroked his daughter's soft tail gently.

"I have to agree with Simon," Jeanette agreed.

"You would!" Brittany snapped at her. Jeanette recoiled slightly. Brittany hadn't snapped at her like that in ages.

"And I'm rude?" Alvin scoffed.

"Yes, deadbeat!"

While Brittany and Alvin continued arguing, Jeanette felt something brush against her leg. She lifted the table cloth to find her eight-and-a-half-year-old nephew hiding under the table and beaming up at her. She subtly gave him a pat on the head and a gentle smile. Her lavender eyes met his hazel eyes and displayed a message of love and care.

"That's it! I want a divorce!" Brittany hollered. There was a collective gasp.

"If that's what the princess wants!" Alvin snapped. "I'll even file it!"

"Mommy, what's a divorce?" six-year-old Sadie asked Jeanette; unfamiliar with the term.

"I'll tell you later, sweetie," Jeanette promised.

After dinner, the guests left to their own homes. At Simon and Jeanette's house, Jeanette wanted to speak with Jake and Sadie. Jake asked, "What is it, Mom?"

"Guys, I want you to be extra nice to your cousin AJ," Jeanette began.

"But we're already nice to him," Sadie insisted.

"I know you are, but I mean really nice. Just be there when he needs you. He's going through a hard time. His parents want to divorce, which is what a married couple does when they don't want to be together anymore," Jeanette explained. It pained her that she had to explain the topic of divorce to an eight-year-old and a six-year-old, especially _her_ eight-year-old and six-year-old.

"But don't they love AJ?" Jake asked.

"Oh, honey, I'm sure they do."

"Are you and Dad getting a divorce?" Jake asked again.

"No, we're not. Your father and I love each other too much for that. If he didn't love me, he wouldn't have saved my life as many times as he did, especially at the risk of his own life. Your father is so sweet and romantic! I'd never want to divorce him, and I'm sure he feels the same way. Don't mention the divorce unless AJ mentions it first. Try to comfort him, okay, guys. Jake, you're a few months younger than him. I expect you especially to interact with him."

"Okay, Mom," Jake nodded. He seemed to understand.

"Okay, off to bed," Jeanette said.

"Good night, Mom," Jake went upstairs.

"Good night, Mommy," Sadie followed him.

Simon approached Jeanette. He was holding a telephone. "That was Alvin."

"Did he mention anything about what happened at dinner? He and my sister ruined a lovely, celebratory dinner!" Jeanette asked. What had her miffed the most was that they had decided this at dinner in the middle of an argument right in front of their son of eight and a half years.

"No, but we agreed to do something nice for Theodore because he'll be a father of three soon. We're taking him out tomorrow. Do you mind?"

"No. I think he and Brittany could use a little alone time from each other."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Honey, I'm worried about AJ. He's a nice, young chipmunk who hasn't even reached double digits yet. I'm worried this divorce could really affect his developing mind!" Jeanette let her worries be known.

"You should have gone into neurology," Simon simply claimed. "So you're saying we should help him?"

"Yes! Maybe take him out once in a while, like to the park or the movies. All I want to do is help the poor kid. Alvin and Brittany probably fight every night!"


	3. AJ's Favorite Aunt

**Chapter 3: AJ's Favorite Aunt**

The next day, Alvin got yelled at by Brittany, gave AJ a hug goodbye, and set out to pick up his brothers. They didn't know what they were going to do, but they were doing something. They were going to drive around, do random things, eat at random places, and visit Dave and Claire, and other stuff.

AJ and his mother stayed at home. AJ asked, "Why couldn't I go?"

"Sweetie, this was just something for your father to do with Uncle Theodore and Uncle Simon. Wouldn't you rather stay at home with me? You know, instead of with that irresponsible…stubborn…," Brittany's thoughts were filled with rage. She was boiling on the inside. "Ungrateful…stupid…hurtful…whiney…impatient…" She looked at AJ. He looked so much like his father. Like his father…and she snapped like a twig in a dojo. She grabbed her son by the torso and began screaming at the top of her lungs. "YOU NO GOOD, UNAPPRECIATIVE JERK! WITHOUT ME, YOU HAVE NOTHING! I HATE YOU, ALVIN, AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" She hit AJ as hard as she could; she was blinded by her anger until she saw him covering one eye and crying. She gasped. "Oh, my…! Oh, AJ!" She tried to hug him and apologize, but he squirmed away and ran out the front door. She called out to him, "AJ! AJ, I'm sorry! Please come back!"

AJ just kept running. He ran all the way to Jeanette's house and began to knock frantically. As soon as she opened the door, her nephew is in tears with his arms wrapped around her. She motioned Sadie and Jake to go upstairs and welcomed AJ inside. She sat in a chair in the living room, and he sat on her lap, crying into her shirt. She stroked his hair, asking, "What's wrong, baby?"

"M-M-Mom h-h-h-hit me and y-y-yelled at me w-when I did n-nothing wrong! She s-s-said she h-hated me!" AJ sobbed. "She hates me, Aunt Jean!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sure she didn't mean that," she said soothingly. "Want to hear a story?"

"Y-yes please," AJ nodded and tried to quiet his cries.

"Well, when your mom and I were in high school, she'd bully me. She'd hit me, tell me she hated me, and made me cry. Once, she got the cheerleaders to jump me. But that's not the point. In the end, she apologized. She even saved me from getting my skull cracked open. She did that because she loved me, and she loves you, too. In fact, she loves you more than anything!" Jeanette assured.

"Thanks, Aunt Jean, but…I'm still not convinced," AJ admitted glumly. "Have—have I ever told you that you're my favorite aunt?"

Jeanette gasped, and then she smiled at him. She kissed his forehead and stroked that back of his head at a moderately slow rhythm. Eventually, he fell asleep in her arms like a baby. She picked up the phone and dialed her sister's home phone number. Before Brittany could say hello, Jeanette bitterly and quietly said, "You've got a lot of nerve, Britt! I hope you don't plan on having another child, because this one thinks you hate him!"

"He's over there? Thank—!" Brittany began.

"Don't be thanking anyone. You'll be lucky if he ever wants to see you again. He came to my house, sobbing like it was the end of the world! What has gotten into you?"

"I know! I'm sorry! It's just that I looked at him and thought of Alvin—"

"That's no excuse, Brittany! AJ's eye is starting to bruise! You gave your own son a black eye. I forgave you when you hit me, but I can't forgive you for this! Alvin's the responsible one in your relationship. He gives AJ attention. What do you give him?"

"I—"

"When Alvin finds out, he'll divorce your sorry butt so hard you'll need a boot remover!"

"Jeanette!"

"No, Brittany, I'm not keeping this from him. Not after AJ said the sweetest thing to me!"

"What'd he say?"

"He said I was his favorite aunt. And I'm not going to let him down! I hope Alvin gets full custody of AJ! It'll be a miracle if they don't lock you up for child abuse! I'm ashamed to call you my sister!"

"Jeanette!"

"Goodbye, Brittany!" Jeanette forcefully hung up the phone. Sadie and Jake came downstairs. Jeanette taught them a valuable lesson. "Kids, your Aunt Brittany is despicable. I think AJ is going to have to spend the night here. The poor thing has a black eye that his mother gave him."

"Do you want me to get something from the freezer?" Jake asked.

"Maybe when he wakes up. Thanks, Jake."

"Mommy, is cousin AJ going to be alright?" Sadie asked.

"…I'll make sure of it," Jeanette assured.

"You're the best mommy in the whole world!"

"Thank you, sweetheart. I love you. I always will."


	4. The Sleepover

**Chapter 4: The Sleepover**

Jeanette called Simon. She said, "When you come home, bring Alvin with you, there's something he should know, but I want to tell him in person."

"What happened, Jeanie?" Simon asked on the other end of the call.

"It's AJ…I'll explain more when you get back. I'm worried about our little nephew," Jeanette told him.

When Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were done touring the town, Alvin and Simon went to the house of the bespectacled brother. Alvin saw AJ asleep in Jeanette's arms, and Simon was greeted with a big hug from Sadie. Alvin asked, "What happened?"

Jeanette turned AJ around so his sleeping face was facing his father. He saw the black eye. "Brittany happened. We gave him an ice pack a few hours ago to reduce swelling, and he went back to sleep."

"Brittany did this?" Alvin couldn't believe it. He was spiteful to his wife before, but now, the only thing that kept him from killing his wife was willpower and the fact that she wasn't present in the room. "Nobody hits my AJ!"

AJ's eyes opened slowly. When his vision came into focus, his left eye hurt. It was the one that was blackened by his mother. He didn't care when he saw Alvin Sr. standing before him. He groggily greeted, "Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Junior," Alvin greeted softly. "AJ, I'm so sorry. If I had known your mother was _that _psychotic, I would've brought you with me."

"Don't be sorry, Dad. I'm glad you got to spend time with Uncle Simon and Uncle Theodore," AJ objected.

"I'm going to have a long talk with your mother," Alvin assured.

"I already did. I've never been more furious with her," Jeanette informed him. "Not even when she bullied me in high school."

"I wonder what Eleanor will think of this," Alvin wondered.

"We shouldn't tell her," Simon claimed. "We don't want her to stress over family spats during her pregnancy. Did you see how happy she was when she told us? We don't want to risk a miscarriage."

"He's right," Jeanette said ruefully. Eleanor had every right to know about this, but no one wanted her to stress over it. "No offence to you, Alvin, but he can't go back to the house. Is it all right if he stays here for the night?"

"Sure," Alvin nodded approvingly.

"I'll get the guest room ready," Simon announced.

"He can sleep in my room if he wants," Jake came downstairs and offered.

"That's very sweet of you, honey," Jeanette said.

"AJ, I'll run home and get some stuff for you, okay?" Alvin offered.

"Okay. Thanks, Dad," AJ said and hugged him. His tail drooped with sadness underneath his oversized sweatshirt. He found it hard to believe his own mother would hit him.

"Hopefully I don't come back with a knife in my back," Alvin muttered to Simon and Jeanette.

"I'll go with you," Simon promised. He gave Jeanette a kiss. "I'll be back in a few."

A few minutes later, at Alvin and Brittany's house, trouble stirred the moment Alvin opened the front door. Brittany was screaming, "WHERE IS AJ?"

"He's at Si and Jean's so you won't blacken his other eye, you crazy (expletive beep. Sorry for any complications, etc)!" Alvin yelled back. He went into AJ's room to pack some things. From there, he called out, "And he's spending the night there!"

Brittany was hurt by this. No one trusted her around her own child anymore, and it's all because she had lost it for a few seconds. Apparently, that was all it took. She felt awful, but was angry at Alvin, as she usually was. She showed her regular amount of spite. "You can't raise him without me!"

"I know I can't raise him _with _you. I'm reporting that you hit AJ when we get divorced! He's too good a child for you to be his mother!" Alvin countered as he dragged out a chipmunk sized suitcase and a pillow.

"He's too good a child for you to be his father!" Brittany kept chiseling.

"Do you want to know how AJ felt when you hit him?" Alvin asked rhetorically. Brittany said nothing. Alvin concluded, "That's what I thought. And I would in a heartbeat!"

"Let's go," Simon said softly and ushered Alvin out. "Maybe you should spend the night, too."

Alvin smiled at his brother. "Thanks, bro."

Back at Simon and Jeanette's, all was quiet. Jake was reading a book on the armchair. Jeanette sat in the middle of the couch, her daughter on one side, her nephew on the other. Both AJ and Sadie were asleep, and even Jake was looking drowsy. Jeanette was humming a lullaby. Alvin and Simon came back with AJ's stuff and were surprised that he was already asleep. At this moment, Jake finally dozed off. Alvin whispered, "Wow, Jeanette! That was…I can't even think of a word for it."

"That's why I married her. She's beautiful, intelligent, graceful, and patient among other things," Simon said softly. He walked over to his wife and they rubbed noses; something they had done since they dated in high school.

"I need to schedule that divorce as soon as possible. Get this; Brittany thinks she's a better parent than me," Alvin whispered.

"Really? After what she did today?" Jeanette whispered back when she and Simon stopped rubbing noses.

"She's fuller of herself than I ever was."

"Than you ever dreamed of."

The three adult chipmunks carried their children up to Sadie and Jake's rooms. Alvin wrapped AJ in his sleeping bag. Jeanette whispered, "Let me get the guest room ready for you, Alvin."

When he and Simon were alone, Alvin thanked his brother. "Si, thanks so much for doing this! I really appreciate it! You're the best!"

"You're a good father to AJ, and you could use some time away from either breaking a vase over Brittany's head or getting a vase broken over yours," Simon smiled. "You kid needs you. He looks up to you. His mother is out of the question by now."

"I just—I can't believe she'd do that to him. Maybe to me, but to our son? I never saw it coming!"

"I don't think any of us did. But you're so passionate with AJ. It's like there's a whole different side to you that's face-up when he's around. You seemed more responsible ever since he was born. You have great parental instincts, and I have full faith in you to raise him."

"Thanks, Simon. That means a lot coming from the responsible one when we were growing up. We didn't grow much, but we're chipmunks, so…"


	5. Brittany's Side of the Story

**Chapter 5: Brittany's Side of the Story**

Brittany sat at her dining room table alone. She was mentally cursing herself for what she did to AJ. What Alvin had said to her completely changed her perspective. She couldn't stand that, even as an adult chipmunk, he acted immature and irresponsible. That wasn't true. When it came to AJ, the responsible, caring, and loving side of Alvin showed. Brittany began to worry that she blew everything. Why hadn't she seen this side of him before? If she had, there still would've been hope that she could save her marriage and her relationship with AJ. Jeanette was ticked off about what happened to AJ, and given that she and Simon would agree on almost anything, he'll be ticked off as well. Alvin was definitely peeved. She needed help, her options were slim; who could she turn to. She picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Ellie, it's Brittany," Brittany sniffled. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, sis," Eleanor said cheerily. "I'm just watching _Seinfeld _and eating cucumbers and pancakes. What do you want to talk about?" Brittany told Eleanor everything. Eleanor surprisingly wasn't angry. "I know you didn't mean it, Britt. Although, you should've had more faith in Alvin."

"I know!" Brittany sobbed.

"You obviously just need time to talk to them," Eleanor advised.

"How?"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"What's so funny?"

"_Seinfeld_!"

"Ellie!"

"Okay, okay! How about I have everyone over for dinner again? When the time is right, reconcile with AJ, and then work your way up to Alvin."

"Yeah, that—ow!" Brittany screamed. She had accidently stepped on a nail that was sticking out of the floorboard.

"What?"

"I stepped on a nail and my foot is bleeding!"

Later, at the hospital, a doctor had put a bandage around Brittany's foot and claimed that the nail caused no complications. Theodore and Eleanor were there with their sleepy kids for moral support. Theodore asked Brittany, "Where were Alvin and AJ when this happened?"

"Simon and Jeanette invited them to spend the night at their house," Brittany sighed. She wanted her family back. "I feel so awful!"

"How much blood have you lost?" Theodore asked. Eleanor swatted him. "Ow! What did I do?"

"What are you guys naming the baby?" Brittany asked.

"We have a system. He picks a boy's name and a girl's name, I do the same, and we debate until I give birth," Eleanor explain. "My names are Dawn for a girl and Sagittarius for a boy."

"Sagittarius isn't even a child's name. I don't even know how to make a nickname for it. Besides, you're not due for a long time—until March or April," Theodore informed her.

"Fine. If it's a boy, my boy's name is Taurus. Tell Brittany the names you picked."

"I picked, uh, I've always liked the name Zoey for a girl, and Edward for a boy," Theodore said shyly.

"Boring!" Eleanor moaned. "Even if you did pick Zoey with a 'Y'."

"That's probably your hormones talking. You tend to show signs of pregnancy weeks before anyone else I know," Brittany concluded.

"Whatever! I'm calling Jeanette and telling her what happened to your foot!" Eleanor fished through her purse for her cell phone. "I'm so peeved off that she isn't here!"

"We're the only ones that know so far, Ellie," Theodore reminded her.

"Jeanette, get your tail over here!" Eleanor yelled into her phone. "Otherwise, you'll need to use a boot remover on it!"

"If she dreams about conspiracies again, I don't know what I'll do," Theodore mumbled. Jeanette, along with Jake, Sadie, and AJ, was at the hospital within ten minutes.

"Mom!" AJ exclaimed when he saw his mother with her foot wrapped up. He ran over to her. Brittany hugged him.

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for what I did to you! I love you! Mommy will always love you!" Brittany sobbed apologetically. They made eye contact and she brushed his face with her fingers. "Oh, your poor eye."

"It is okay, Mom," AJ simply told her. He smiled at her.

"No, AJ, it isn't. I promise I'll make it up to you," Brittany assured.

Jeanette approached her and asked, "Are you okay?" When her sister nodded, she said, "I'm sorry about what I said on the phone. I was just so angry about AJ and maybe…a little bit about how you treated me in high school."

"No, don't be sorry," Brittany took a deep breath and said. "I deserved it. You know what stepping on that nail and piercing my foot made me realize?"

"What?" Jeanette asked.

"I don't want to get divorced!" Brittany sobbed. "D-do you think Alvin will change his mind?" Instead of answering, Jeanette began biting her lower lip. Brittany immediately knew something was up. "What?"

"He…kind of already scheduled a date with the courthouse," Jeanette admitted. "Simon is trying to haul him in here."

"Oh, no! I don't want a divorce! I should've never brought it up!" Brittany sobbed.

"I told you so!" Eleanor said.

"When? I was with you all of today and yesterday," Theodore demanded.

"…Man, I get weird when I'm pregnant! I was having cucumbers and pancakes when Brittany called."

"That sounds disgusting!" Sadie claimed in disgust.

"Hey, you eat what you can when you're eating for two," Eleanor winked at her. She put her hand on her stomach and asked, "Isn't that right, Taurus?"

"The constellation?" Jake asked.

"You have stars in your belly?" AJ asked.

"Yes and no. I'm naming him the name of the star sign he's born in. No, there are no stars in my belly," Eleanor explained.

"Guys, there is something I have to tell you. Well, you see, Alvin and I have been hitting each other. I think he's done more harm than I have," Brittany admitted. Physically, her husband was much stronger than her.

"I hoped it wouldn't get to this," Jeanette sighed. "Are you okay? What do you do to each other?"

"Well, a few nights ago, maybe even a week or so ago, we were fighting in our room. He made a grab at me, and I shoved him. Then, he threw me on the bed and broke a vase over my back. I retaliated by breaking one over his head," Brittany admitted. She looked at her son and hugged him again. "I'm so sorry that Daddy and I are fighting like this, baby! We try to stop, really we do, but we can't! We just can't AJ! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry, Mom. It isn't your fault," AJ said sweetly. He didn't know who to blame.

"What are we going to do? Can't we stop the divorce?" Eleanor whispered to Jeanette. Remaining silent, Jeanette shook her head. Then, Eleanor asked, "Does he want this that badly?" Then, Jeanette nodded and began biting her lip again.

Meanwhile, with Simon and Alvin, there was a lot of arguing going on. "You should go see her!"

"After what she did to AJ? Forget it! I don't care if she's bleeding out!" Alvin protested. "She could have a heart attack for all I care!"

"AJ went up to see her! He was able to forgive and forget!" Simon argued. "Why can't you?"

"Because I'm not sure I did the right thing!" Alvin yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Simon asked; confused.

"I'm not sure I did the right thing applying for divorce!"

"To be honest, I don't think you did. Sure, I was just as mad as everyone else when I found out she hurt AJ, but when he went up to see her after hearing she put a hole her foot, I can tell that he can still love her and live with her mistakes. You should be able to do that!"

"Not everyone can have your little storybook marriage, Simon!"

"What the heck does that even mean?"

"You and Jeanette are in your own little world!"

"Huh? Where'd you pull that from?"

"Oh, come on! You two never fight, never disagree, and you two even share a spaghetti dinner just to see if you eat the same noodle, thus leading into making out at the table!"

"…That has to be the first time you've ever said the word 'thus'. This is pointless."

"Shut up, Simon!" Alvin shouted and hit Simon in the nose.

Holding his now bleeding nose, Simon began screaming, "Are you insane?"

"No, I'm just really (expletive bleep; sorry for any complications, etc) off!"

Simon staggered his way to Brittany's hospital room, leaving Alvin behind. Still holding his nose, he asked, "How's your foot?"

"Simon, what happened to you?" Jeanette asked him.

"Alvin happened, and I think he broke my nose!" Simon said angrily. Though, the way he was holding his nose made his voice sound funny, so the children cracked smiles.

"Oh, my poor guy," Jeanette said in a baby voice and attempted to rub her nose against his, but she suddenly decided against it. "Probably not the best idea."

"I think she's jealous of you guys," Eleanor said.

"What do you mean?" Jeanette asked.

"You two are happily married, while he and Brittany are getting divorced," Eleanor explained. "He's envious of how well your marriage is doing, and he knows how much you two love nose rubbing. So he bopped Simon in the nose on purpose. This is so that you two cannot rub your cute little noses together. It was a setup! A conspiracy, I say!"

"I love you, Ellie, but you're crazy," Brittany commented. She smiled at her blonde sister's silliness.

"Now that you mention it, Alvin kept going on about how everyone can't have a storybook marriage like Jeanette and I," Simon recalled. "He also said he wasn't sure if the divorce was the right thing to do."

"Well, I guess I can see that," Theodore said thoughtfully. "Is he dropping the divorce?"

Then, Brittany's chipmunk sized smart phone went off. She got a text from Alvin and read it aloud, and essentially answered her brother-in-law's question. "'It's your fault AJ was born in a cab, you brat.'"

"I was born in a cab?" AJ asked with his head tilted. That was something he had never known about himself.

"Was that Alvin?" Jeanette asked. At first, she was on Alvin's side. Then, she had remained unsure when AJ reconciled with his mother. She changed over to Brittany's side of the story in an instant when she saw what Alvin did to her husband. No one messed who with Simon _ever_ got Jeanette's approval! Brittany nodded at her sister's question.

"No way! It couldn't be!" Theodore protested. In truth, he loved both of his brothers and just wanted the family to remain whole. He didn't like seeing anyone unhappy.

"Conspiracy!" Eleanor cackled. "I bet he's even part of the puppet regime."

"Eleanor, there is no puppet regime!" Theodore tried to tell her.

"Mommy, Aunt Ellie is scaring me," Sadie whispered to Jeanette.

"Me, too, sweetie," Jeanette stated. "She's frightening me, too."

"Don't worry, Sade, she only like this when she's having a baby. You were two when she was pregnant with Dominic, so you wouldn't remember," Jake assured his sister. "Sade, you're a lucky lady. So far, you've only lived through this once going on twice."

"Am I that crazy with a baby in my belly?" Eleanor asked.

The unanimous Seville family answer was, "YES!"


	6. The Divorce

**Chapter 6: The Divorce**

A few days later, the family was at the courthouse. They had already been most of the way through the process. Alvin kept screaming at Brittany, "You hit AJ!"

"If he looked more like me than you, you would've hit him!" Brittany defended. She was in tears. "I never meant it! I was just thinking about how angry you made me! You broke a vase over my back!"

"You broke one over my head!"

"Conspiracy!" Eleanor jumped up and yelled.

"Order! Order! I demand order! And don't do that again, ma'am," the judge pounded his gavel.

"She did that when she was pregnant with Lucy and we were at an art auction," Theodore muttered to Simon.

"What were you doing at an art auction?" Simon asked.

"We were lost. The auctioneer said the exact same thing the judge just said."

"That happened seven years ago, and you remember that?" Simon asked. Theodore nodded.

"How's your nose?"

"It still hurts."

"I don't want to get divorced anymore, Alvin!" Brittany cried.

"WELL, I DO!" he screamed at her at the top of his lungs. AJ, who was sitting in the stands with the rest of the family, looked heartbroken. Jeanette held his paw in hers and shot him a sad smile. He quietly cried into her chest as she rubbed his back at a soothing pace.

"Now, all that remains is the sentencing and the custody of Alvin Seville Jr.," the judge spoke.

"AJ? Oh, I'm so sorry, AJ!" Brittany continued to sob. "I tried to make things right, baby! I'm sorry!"

"So I assume there will be equal custody?"

"Are you kidding me? What she did to AJ is the whole reason I still want the divorce!" Alvin yelled.

"Why don't we let your son choose, Alvin Seville Sr.?"

"Mom…Dad…," AJ sniffled. He couldn't form a complete sentence for his life at that moment. Jeanette began to sway back and forth in her seat.

"Equal custody!" the judge pounded his gavel.

"Objection!" Alvin snapped.

"On what grounds?"

"I was born in a tree! How should I know?"

"Dismissed! And because it is obvious that Alvin Seville Sr. cannot contain or control himself, Brittany Miller gets full custody of Alvin Seville Jr.," the judge decreed and pounded his gavel again.

_I'm still a Seville. I have to be, for AJ's sake. He needs me,_ Brittany thought to herself. She glanced at her son and felt like a failure. What else could she do? Other than having the same surname as her son, she felt like there was nothing more she could do for him. A tear fell from each of her ice blue eyes. She blurted out, "I'm retaining the name 'Seville'. It's the least I can do for my little AJ after that horrible mistake I made." Everyone looked surprised, Jeanette, Alvin, and AJ especially.

"M-Mom?" AJ whispered in disbelief. He smiled. His mother was actually going to keep a last name that would bring her painful memories of sleepless nights and violent fights just because she thought it would make him feel better? He saw that she was going out of her way to do whatever she could for him.

"I love you, AJ," Brittany shot her son a sad smile. Her speech was nearly inaudible, yet he could hear her loud and clear.

"I love you, too," AJ sniffled and sent a sad smile back her way.

"Oh. Okay," the judge nodded at Brittany's decision of retaining her last name.

"Not so fast!" a masked chipmunk came in, holding a chipmunk sized gun.

"I would swear that that's your wife is she wasn't right here," Simon said to Theodore.

"Conspiracy!" Eleanor cackled. "I want the crystal skulls!"

"What the—?" Simon started.

"I don't know," Theodore shook his head.

The masked chipmunk held up the gun and shot the foot Brittany injured a few days prior. Her foot was bleeding once again. She was on the ground, screaming in pain. The masked chipmunk said, "Next time, it's your head!"

"Order! Order! Bailiff, take this marauder away!" the judge ordered.

The masked chipmunk took off her mask, and Alvin uttered, "Hello, gorgeous." It was a female chipmunk. She had long blond hair, green eyes, and was wearing cherry red lipstick.

"She does kind of look like my wife," Theodore gasped.

"Yeah, only hotter!" Alvin panted. He whistled to her. "_Way _hotter."

The female marauder just shot the bailiff in the throat with her tiny gun. He choked, and she gnawed his Taser off of his belt. It fell onto his shoe. After being electrocuted by the Taser, the bailiff was out like a light.

"Al, I thought you weren't sure about the divorce! Your wife needs help!" Simon called out to his brother. Alvin did not come. He just stood there and gazed a gaze of enchantment at the assailent. "Alvin, Brittany is hurt! She needs you now!"

Alvin was too distracted by the chipmunk assailant. He mumbled in response to his brother, "Who?"

"Listen, you son of a—!" Jeanette growled. She was downright furious. Her lavender eyes burned with intense rage.

"Jeanie, whatever he's the son of, we're the sons of, too," Simon reminded her as he gestured to himself and Theodore.

"I have never found your brother more appalling!" she said to her husband. They ran over to Brittany with AJ still in Jeanette's arms. AJ gazed at his wounded mother with concerned hazel eyes. Jeanette held her nephew tightly, trying to comfort him.

"Yo, gorgeous, I'm not married!" Alvin called and threw off his wedding ring. It rolled all the way to AJ's feet. He wondered what his father was doing while his mother was bleeding. Was he insane? Did he not love her anymore? AJ began to believe so when Alvin approached the assailant on his knees. Alvin paid no attention to his distraught son, his bleeding now-ex-wife, his furious brothers, or his even more furious sisters-in-law.

"Call me Charlene," the assailant said. With her calm, controlled, alluring voice, she had him hooked in an instant.

"O-okay," Alvin drooled.

"Hold me back! Hold me back!" Jeanette growled. Her husband did so. "Let me at him! I swear I'm going to kill him! Let me at him! Let me at that man skank! I'm going to kill him!"

"Jean! Jeanie! Jeanette, stop! It's not worth it!" Simon tried talking sense into her.

"It hurts…it hurts!" Brittany moaned. Eleanor and Theodore rushed to her aid.

"Where does it hurt?" Eleanor asked.

"Here," she placed a hand on her chest, "in my heart."

"Death to the puppet regime!" Eleanor ripped off Theodore's belt and swung it like a whip towards Charlene.

"There is no puppet regime!" Theodore claimed. He tried holding her back, but accidently got whipped by his own belt.

"Why don't I take you to my place?" Charlene asked. She threw a grappling hook at the ceiling.

"Bow wow!" Alvin barked. They escaped through a hole Charlene made in the ceiling with a hidden explosive device.

"Dad…?" AJ stared at the ceiling in wonder. "Why, Daddy? Why?" He felt so alone and betrayed. His own father just abandoned him for a lady chipmunk that he didn't even know. He looked down at his father's old wedding ring on the floor. One of his salty tears fell on it. He felt a gentle and supportive paw on his shoulder. It was none other than her favorite aunt. Jeanette gave AJ a quick hug, and then took charge. She was steaming mad. The last time she had been so mad was either the junior prom, where her best friend's heart was broken, or the day after, when Simon's best friend-_ex_-best friend, made him cry in front of all his friends.

"Someone tell me where that Charlene lives! I haven't been so angry since our junior year in high school! Eleanor, hand me that belt!" Jeanette ordered. She could not believe what Alvin just did, and in front of his own son, too. She held her arm out for Eleanor to hand her the belt, but Eleanor refused, as she was not fascinated by the belt she had taken from her husband.

"Forget that! Call an ambulance!" Theodore said. "Ellie, can I have my belt back?"

"Mine!" Eleanor growled. "My precious! My precious!"

"Ellie…" Theodore began. He was worried that she would bite him if he tried to take it back by force.

"No! My precious! My preciously precious!" Eleanor growled even more. She gripped that belt like it was the very essence of her life (make no mistake, it wasn't and isn't).

"Theo, why do you even have a belt. We're chipmunks. We have fur. You're not wearing pants," Simon pointed out.

"I thought it would make me look spiffy," Theodore admitted.

"Alvin…" Brittany shed her tears as she blacked out. She woke up in a hospital room. Her head spun. What had just happened? What could she have done to prevent the divorce? She thought of what poor little AJ must have been thinking. There tears were going to come on again. She could feel them well up. No. She had to be strong now.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Seville," a doctor greeted her.

"Man, that was some divorce," Brittany held her head in agony.

"I'll say! Simon strapped me to a chair afterwards," Jeanette's voice said. Brittany turned her head to find her sister, her brother-in-laws, and her son. "But he only did it because he loves me and didn't want me to be convicted of murder." Jeanette and Simon rubbed noses.

"Where's Ellie?" Brittany asked weakly.

"Still tied to a chair," Theodore answered. "And away from every pair of scissors within a half mile of here."

Jeanette placed a paw on Brittany's. "We're here for you, sis."

"AJ?" Brittany suddenly called out. AJ ran up and hugged her.

"Mom, where's Dad?" AJ asked. The poor little chipmunk looked like he had been crying. In truth, he had been. He had been crying ever since his father carelessly threw off his wedding ring.

"I wish I knew, baby, I wish I knew," Brittany shook her head and held him tightly. Both chipmunks, mother and son, started to cry.

**Kind of cruddy, I know. But I wanted to experiment a little. I did rate this 'T', so I wanted to see the boundaries (which I still stayed in) of it. If you've read my past fan fictions, you'll know that there is always some twist. For Jeanette's Protector, it was spies. For In the Moonlight (my Pokémon one-shot) it was a DNA twist. **


	7. The Sweatshirt

**Chapter 7: The Sweatshirt**

Brittany was released from the hospital that evening because the bullet was removed from her foot while she was unconscious. Jeanette drove her and AJ home. Jeanette tried to lighten the mood. "Does anyone want to play a car game? Like 'I Spy'?"

"No thanks," AJ moaned.

"He broke my heart," Brittany mumbled as she blankly stared out Jeanette's passenger seat window. "He got a new girlfriend in the middle of our divorce."

"If you ever need anything, Britt, let me know. Simon and I will do what we can to help," Jeanette promised.

"Thanks, sis," Brittany said halfheartedly.

"That goes for you, too, okay, AJ?" Jeanette looked at him via her rear view mirror.

"Okay, Aunt Jean," AJ nodded drowsily.

"Oh, you poor kid. You've had a long day," Jeanette said softly. No one, especially his age, should have to go through something like that. Yet, she realized it happened all the time, minus the masked marauder coming in during the divorcing process and shooting someone's foot. But what Jeanette really wondered was who was Charlene and why did she crash the divorce? When Brittany's house came into view, Jeanette pulled over. "You sure you don't need anything?"

"I'm fine for now," Brittany insisted and got out of the car. "Come on, AJ."

"Thanks for the ride, Aunt Jean," AJ got out of the car.

Jeanette pulled away, and Brittany trudged inside with AJ right behind her. He went to his room, and she flopped onto the couch. She said to herself, "Jeanette's car is tiny, because she's a chipmunk. I hope people can see her tiny car. Then again, it's designed for people to be able to see, despite its size in reference to a human sized car. I am going crazy."

She heard the sound of ruffling coming from AJ's room, followed by crying. She got up and went to see what was wrong. There was her son in a red and white t-shirt, his sweatshirt that Alvin had given him thrown in a corner of his room. Brittany sighed, "Why is your sweatshirt over there?"

"It's not mine! It's _his_!" AJ groaned. He was referring to his father.

"Not anymore sweetie. It _was_ his. It _used _to belong to Alvin Seville. Now it belongs to AJ Seville, and it's yours to keep."

"He doesn't love us! He broke the promise he made me. He said he'd always love me!" AJ wept.

"AJ, just because he doesn't love me anymore doesn't mean he doesn't love you," Brittany reassured. "He loves you more than anything in this world, or any other world. And so do I."

"Mom, why did Dad go with that strange woman?"

"I don't know, honey. I don't know anything other than her first name. But that doesn't matter to me."

"She shot your foot."

"But I'm glad that you're safe."

AJ got up and picked up the sweatshirt. He put it on over himself and smiled at his mother. He gave her a big hug and asked, "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Sure, baby," Brittany approved in a motherly tone. The phone rang. "Hang on. I better see who it is." She went into the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Brittany. It's Jeanette. I'm just checking in to see if you're okay."

"I'm fine, Jean."

"Is AJ?"

"I think he is now. The poor guy doesn't really understand what's going on."

"Are you keeping your last name or are you switching back to 'Miller'?"

"I want my last name to be the same as AJ's. I'm still a Seville."

"Good. That will help him. I feel so bad for you and the little guy. I swear Alvin was lucky Simon was holding me back! I would've torn him apart! No one messes with my sister."

"Thanks, Jeanette. Do you know anything about this Charlene character?"

"Only what you know, her first name, and that she is a sick puppy."

"I'll say she is. But where did she come from? Why did she do what she did?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, I have nothing else to say, so…good night, Jeanette."

"Good night, Brittany."

AJ was already snuggled up in her bed when she came in. She chuckled, "You're a speedy little thing."

"Thank you," AJ proudly thanked her. "Mom, why is Aunt Eleanor always so crazy when she's going to have a baby?"

"I have no idea. We've been wondering that ever since she was pregnant with your little cousin, Lucy," Brittany chuckled. "Do you remember when she was pregnant with Dominic and tried to shove a banana up her nose?"

"Oh, yeah!" AJ's eyes lit up with recollection. "That was funny!"

"And when she tried shooting your Uncle Theodore with a donut?"

"That was even funnier!" AJ laughed.

"Oh, I guess she just gets really excited when she's having a baby."

"Mom, was I really born in the back of a cab?"

"Yes, AJ. Just remember that your father and I were never good at planning."

"That must have been quite a day!"

"It would've been even if you weren't born in a cab. It was the greatest day of my life. It was the first day of yours. You were the cutest thing when you were a baby."

"What was my first word?"

"Your first word was 'AJ' after hearing one of us say it to you."

"Were you happy?"

"Of course I was, sweetie. I called your aunts and uncles, and I also called Grandpa Dave and Grandma Claire."

"What was Jake's first word?"

"Jake's? You'll have to ask Aunt Jeanette. He's not my kid. You are, and I wouldn't change that for the world."

"Thanks, Mom," AJ hugged her. He had tears in his eyes, and they weren't left unnoticed.

"You can let it out, AJ."

After hearing his mother say this, AJ began to cry and got closer to her. Brittany stoked the back of his head and let out a heaving sigh. She felt sorry for her son. He shouldn't have to go through this, but he was anyway. He calmed down a little and said, "I'm sorry he broke your heart."

"Thank you, AJ. I'm sorry that he broke yours, but we'll get through this," Brittany said soothingly. But inside, her emotions were a burning train wreck. She wondered what Alvin was doing with Charlene. Maybe he forgot all about her and AJ. She kissed AJ's head while trying to get those thought out of her own. Just then, her smart phone went off. She picked it up and saw she had a new text message…from Alvin. It said: 'Charlene is way better than u'.

"Who was it, Mom?" AJ asked.

"…Your father," Brittany simply answered. Her heart was already in a million pieces, but he felt like adding insult to injury. But she knew she had to stay strong for AJ. She had to. She just had to. "Let's try and go to sleep, okay?"

"Mom, what did Dad say?" AJ insisted that she told her.

"Alright…apparently, he likes this Charlene woman more than me, and decided to be very straightforward about it after already breaking my heart by going off with the woman who shot my foot."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think Dad is acting like an idiot."

"He is, but he means well or at least _meant_ well."

"Who's going to be my dad now, Mom?"

"Well, AJ, he still is your father, but I'm sure your uncles will step up and help raise you. Raising a child is a team effort."

"It can't be done alone?"

"It could be, but it wouldn't be as easy. It wouldn't be as fun either. You are a real joy, AJ. Sometimes, you need someone to share that joy with."

"Why is Aunt Ellie so crazy when she's having a baby?"

"…I'm just going to say because she's Eleanor."

AJ laughed at that, and then said, "Good night, Mom."

"Good night, AJ," Brittany replied.

Meanwhile, at Simon and Jeanette's house, Simon and Jeanette were reading a book in bed when the telephone rang. Simon picked it up after seeing that the name and number were unknown. "Hello?"

"Si, I am having the time of my life!" Alvin's voice exclaimed.

"Alvin? Where are you?"

"Heaven!" Alvin answered slyly.

"Give me that!" Jeanette muttered in an aggravated tone. She took the phone and said, "You don't belong in heaven, you two-timing ignoramus! Do you know how deeply you hurt my sister? Do you know how deeply you hurt AJ?"

"What…?" Alvin moaned into the phone. He seemed very distracted. Jeanette was about to throw the phone when Simon took it from her.

He told Alvin, "Don't bother calling us again!" he then hung up on him.

"I hope she shoots him!" Jeanette said and crossed her arms.

"I don't know what has gotten into him. But it doesn't sound like this Charlene is going to be shooting him. Otherwise, she probably would've done it at the courthouse."

"You know…maybe we should have Brittany and AJ over for dinner tomorrow."

"That's a great idea. Or maybe we'll take them to the park or the movies. One thing is for sure, we have to be there for them."

"You could even be like a father to him, someone he could go to when he needs to talk about his first girlfriend or when he's getting bullied or something. Eighty percent of all kids get bullied. I know we were."

"Yeah… You are the smartest, sweetest, kindest, and cutest Chipette there ever was. You always put others before yourself. Remember when I was in a coma and you got our friends at school to sign my yearbook? The principal signed twice."

"Yeah, Simon, I remember."

"My favorite little blurb was the one you wrote."

"It was?"

"And it always will be. Good night, honey."

"Good night, my hero."

They rubbed noses and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, in Eleanor and Theodore's room at their house, Alvin called. Theodore picked it up. "Hello?"

"Dude, I am having the _best night ever_!" Alvin exclaimed.

"Alvin?" Theodore asked. Eleanor screamed, grabbed the phone, and threw it at the wall. The phone shattered like glass. Theodore then muttered, "This'll be the longest nine months I've ever experienced." He turned to his wife, but she was passed out on the bed. "And we're only two or three weeks in…"


	8. AJ's First Crush

**Chapter 8: AJ's First Crush**

The next day, AJ and Brittany went over to Simon and Jeanette's. Jeanette was going to help her sister cope, while Jake and Sadie would play with AJ to help get his mind off of things. Brittany showed Jeanette the text she got from Alvin. Jeanette said, "That idiot called us last night. He said he was having the time of his life."

"I bet I know what he was doing!" Brittany said hoarsely. She gasped. "My voice!"

"You must be really tired, Britt," Jeanette gave Brittany a hug.

"I know!" Brittany sobbed. "It's terrible! Where did I go wrong?"

"You didn't go anywhere wrong. Everything will be okay," Jeanette soothed.

"I know I have to be strong for AJ, but it's so hard! I'm a train wreck with fur!"

"No, you're not. You are my sister, and a wonderful mother."

"But I gave my own son a black eye!"

"Out of anger towards that moron. You're not a bad mother, and I shouldn't have told you that you were. I'm sorry, Brittany."

"Jeanette, I had it coming. Just like when I got my skull cracked open!"

As they continued their conversation, Simon was upstairs with AJ and Jake. AJ said, "There's something I want to tell you guys. I was going to tell my dad, but…Uncle Simon is very reasonable."

"Thanks, AJ," Simon thanked him.

"I have a crush on someone."

"Who?" Jake asked.

"Do you remember that squirrel in our class last year? Her name was Victoria," AJ explained.

"Oh, yeah! I remember her! She was in my reading group!" (A/N: They were in the 3rd grade.)

"Uncle Simon, how do I get her to like me the way you got Aunt Jean to like you?"

"I didn't get your aunt to like me on purpose. We just sort of…fell for each other," Simon explained. "Just start off by complimenting her, I guess. I was never good with ladies."

"But you're happily married."

"Well…you can't force love, or nature. Just try being her friend first, and then work your way up. The best relationships start off as good friendships."

"Actually, AJ, I think she likes you, too," Jake recalled. "She once asked me how you were doing and said that you looked cute in that oversized sweatshirt."

"She did?" AJ asked in disbelief.

"Yep," Jake nodded. AJ had a huge grin on his face.

"Wow, Jeanette was right, elementary school crushes are really cute!" Simon exclaimed.

"Hi, Daddy!" Sadie emerged from her room and greeted him with a great big hug.

"There's my little girl!" Simon returned the hug.

"Oh, yeah, I just remembered something! Jake, what was your first word?"

"My first word?" Jake echoed.

"'Nose'! It was 'nose'! Jake, you said that after seeing your mother and I rub noses," Simon remembered and told him.

"My first word was 'nose'?" Jake echoed.

"Your mother and I love to rub noses, Jake."

"What was my first word?" Sadie asked.

"…I believe it was 'glasses'. You always had a fascination with them. You used to steal your brother's glasses all the time," Simon answered.

"And now I have my own!" Sadie said proudly.

"Uncle Simon?" AJ cut in.

"Yes, AJ?" Simon acknowledged him.

"Thanks for your advice. So, just start off by being her friend?"

"Yep. You're welcome, AJ."

Meanwhile, downstairs, Jeanette was about to show Brittany how to block Alvin's number when Brittany got a call from Alvin. Before Jeanette could stop her, Brittany answered the phone. "What do you want?"

"I want to doubt your parenting skills. How's AJ?"

"He's hanging in there. He hated you for what you did. He thinks you broke your promise to him."

"What promise?"

"You promised to always love him! He thinks that by walking out on us, you broke it!"

"Well, tell him I didn't!"

"It's not that simple, you insensitive jerk! He almost threw away the sweatshirt you gave him for his eighth birthday!"

"Well, that isn't my problem! By the way, Charlene is better than you at _everything_ by a country mile. Last night, we sang in the—"

"I don't care about your new (expletive bleep; sorry for complications, etc), okay?"

"Fine by me. I didn't know you'd be so grouchy when you're single."

"I HATE YOU!" Brittany yelled into the phone. She ended the call and cried into her sister's chest. "It's not fair! It's not fair! It's just not fair!"

"What's wrong?" Simon came down stairs; alarmed by the screaming. His children and AJ were in hot pursuit.

"Your idiot brother called," Jeanette told him. She held her sister and thought bitterly of her brother-in-law.

"Mom?" AJ came down and sat next to his mother on the couch. "If it makes you feel better, Uncle Simon is helping me with my first crush."

"Your first crush?" Brittany gasped. It was almost inaudible. "That's so cute, AJ! Do you want to tell me who it is with?"

"Do you remember Victoria in my class last year?"

"The squirrel? She's a cute little girl."

"It's her."

"Aw!" Brittany and Jeanette said simultaneously.

"He said just start off by being her friend," AJ told them.

"That's how Uncle Simon and I started dating. Well, mostly," Jeanette informed him. "We were very shy around each other at first, but Simon stood by me and comforted me whenever I was bullied. And vice versa whenever possible. He was my first and only crush."

"Aw, and the same to you, dear," Simon said. He knelt down and kissed her cheek. He stood up again and went into the kitchen.

"What were we doing earlier?" Jeanette asked.

"We were blocking his number," Brittany reminded her. She turned to AJ. "Why don't you go play with your cousins?"

"Okay," AJ nodded.


	9. Bad Birthdays

**So sorry for the long wait! I was away again. Anyways, this chapter, as the title suggests, is about AJ's birthday, and it's a…let's say "it's a doozy". Speaking of which, _my _birthday is tomorrow. (Yay…not important right now) This chapter includes a Selena Gomez song that I'd say fits Brittany's situation pretty well. Enjoy it, everyone! Sorry again for the wait!**

**Chapter 9: Bad Birthdays**

About six months (can you believe it?) have passed since that awful divorce. Alvin is still with Charlene, and has had little contact with his family, though Theodore still has his cell phone number. AJ was super excited. The big day finally came. His ninth birthday was here! His mother promised to try and put together a big party, and Jeanette and Simon were helping out. But only his crush, Victoria, and Jake and Sadie were coming. The rest of his friends were busy.

"It's finally here! It's finally here! I turn nine today!" AJ exclaimed with unbridled enthusiasm. This woke his mother up. Her hair was a mess and she was wearing her nightgown.

She bent down, hugged him, and said, "Happy birthday, baby. I wish more kids could come!"

"I'm just glad Victoria is coming," AJ admitted sheepishly.He still had a crush on the squirrel.

"You still like her? I'm glad you two are friends now. And I'm glad that you're happy."

"Thanks, Mom! You're the best!" AJ hugged her. The door ways had streamers on them, which Brittany had stayed up all night doing. She, with Jeanette's help, baked a cake. She had a list of party games and fun activities. After the divorce, Brittany wanted to do whatever she could for AJ's birthday. She didn't care whatever crud Alvin or his new lady, Charlene, tried pulling.

"Baby, after the divorce all those months ago, I want your ninth birthday to be one of your happiest memories. Of course, the first school dance you go to or even your wedding will probably outrank a nine-year-old birthday party, but still, this'll be special," Brittany assured. "I hope."

"Mom, do you think Dad will send a card?" AJ asked.

"He'd better. AJ, I doubt he'd forget his only son's birthday," Brittany knelt down to him so she could be at eye level.

AJ took a shower, got dressed, watched the news with his mother, and opened a card from Eleanor, Theodore, Lucy, Dominic, and the new baby. He read it aloud. "'AJ, we hope you have the best birthday you've ever had. We love you and are sorry we couldn't be there to celebrate with you. We have to meet the doctor on your special day, but we hope you think it was worth it when we welcome our new baby into the world. With lots of love, Aunt Eleanor, Uncle Theodore, Lucy, Dominic, and your future baby cousin.'"

"That was nice of them," Brittany commented.

"Here's a card from Grandpa Dave and Grandma Claire. 'To our grandson, you turn nine today. It's your last year of single digits. We hope it's your best.'"

"It looks like there's more, honey," Brittany pointed out.

"'P.S., we opened a savings account for you.'"

AJ went through the birthday cards, some from relatives such as Dave's cousin Toby, and some from classmates who couldn't make it to the party. But to his disappointment, there wasn't a single card, note, letter, or scrap with his father's writing on it. He wanted to cry, but he held his tears in because it was his birthday. His mother put a paw on his shoulder. She said, "Look on the bright side, your cousins and Victoria are coming over. And tomorrow, you get to watch Aunt Jeanette and I rock a restaurant. It'll be our first gig in a while. Too bad Aunt Ellie couldn't be there. It'll probably be for the best, though."

"You're right, Mom," he looked up at her and managed to smile. She kissed his forehead.

Later, Sadie, Jake, and Jeanette arrived. After them came Victoria and her mother (not to mention one of Jeanette's oldest friends from high school) Cheyenne. **(A/N: Cheyenne is a chipmunk, so that makes Victoria a squirrel/chipmunk hybrid)**

As the kids played hide-and-seek, the mothers sat at the table and talked. Cheyenne said, "Brittany, I am so sorry to hear about what Alvin did to you."

"Thanks, Cheyenne. I feel bad for poor little AJ. Alvin didn't even send him a card," Brittany informed them.

"That's awful!" Jeanette exclaimed. "How'd he take it?"

"He's trying to take it well, but I think it's only because he has friends around that he looks so happy. He looked really disappointed when he didn't see a birthday card from his own father," Brittany stated. When they heard laughing and saw AJ scamper by, Brittany said, "It's a good thing he has other kids to interact with."

Her sister and Cheyenne nodded in agreement. So, they continued talking. Around five o'clock, they had a small dinner and cake. AJ glanced at Victoria. He thought that she looked so cute. The way her tail was at one side of her when she sat in the chair. He wanted to hug it. He wanted to hug _her_, but he controlled himself and got back to eating cake; blushing under the fur of his muzzle the entire time.

"It's good cake, Mrs. Seville," Victoria said after swallowing a fork full. "Did you bake it yourself?"

"Not exactly. I had a little help from the other Mrs. Seville," Brittany told her. Jeanette modestly raised her hand.

"So, Aunt Brittany, you and Mom are performing at a restaurant tomorrow night?" Jake asked.

"Yes, Jake. You're coming, right?"

"Of course. It'll be thrilling!"

"Too bad Aunt Eleanor can't perform, but everyone is afraid she'd knock out a waiter or something," Sadie said bluntly.

"Knock out a waiter?" Cheyenne repeated.

"Ellie's hormones get crazier than the average pregnant mammal," Jeanette informed. "No one knows why. Once, a doctor offered her a tranquilizer."

"Did she take it?"

"Yes and no. She accepted it, but popped it in Theodore's mouth."

"Who was she pregnant with then?" AJ asked.

"I think it was Dominic," Brittany recalled.

"I hope I'm not like her when I have a baby," Sadie said and shook her head.

"Me neither," Victoria agreed. Her tail twitched slightly, and AJ, having noticed it, blushed even more. He was very thankful for the fur on his face at that moment. The fur of his own tail stood on end. Luckily, it was covered by his oversized sweatshirt. He looked at her face. Her eyes were a beautiful ice blue, just like his mother's.

"So, we will definitely be at the concert tomorrow night. I've always loved the Chipettes," Cheyenne assured. "Being a friend of you is like a dream come true."

"Having a friend like you is a dream come true, Cheyenne. We were always there for each other in high school," Jeanette reminded her.

"Like when Mark broke up with me," Cheyenne recalled sadly. "I really should've told him I was psychic earlier than I did. Or maybe I shouldn't have told him at all…"

"Who is Mark?" Victoria asked.

"Your mom is psychic?" AJ asked Victoria.

"Yes, I am and Mark is my ex-boyfriend from high school," Cheyenne answered. "I can't believe he picked the prom of all places to dump me!"

The party was over an hour later. Hours after that, Brittany was putting AJ to bed. "You had a fun day, right AJ?"

"Yes, Mom. Thanks so much for the party!" he answered and gave his mother a hug. "I can't wait for your concert tomorrow night!"

"Well, let's get some sleep for then, okay?" Brittany said sweetly.

"Okay! Good night, Mom!"

"Good night, baby."

Nothing eventful happened the next day until Brittany and AJ met, Simon, Jeanette, Sadie, Jake, Dave, and Claire at the restaurant. Dave and Claire wished him a happy birthday, and in the restaurant, they took the kids and Simon over to a table while Brittany and Jeanette got ready behind the curtain. Jeanette asked Brittany, "Are you ready?"

"Always," Brittany smiled. They each took a microphone. Brittany greeted the crowd, "Hello, everybody! Thank you all for coming out tonight. Before we get started, I just wanted to say that yesterday was my son's birthday and—" She stopped when she saw two chipmunks wading through the crowd: Alvin and Charlene. She smirked and whispered in Jeanette's ear. Then, she said into the microphone, "And look, it's my neglectful ex-husband and his blood marauder girlfriend!"

Alvin and Charlene looked up at the stage as the spotlight hit them. They were angry and mortified. Alvin mouthed a curse word at his ex-wife, but she didn't care.

Brittany and Jeanette began singing after the opening of "Sick of You" by Selena Gomez and the Scene played. Brittany sang the lead, because the song was meant for her ex-husband, so Jeanette sang back-up.

"You know fairy tales don't come true  
Not when it comes to you  
Open up for the first time  
And you can bet that it's the last time  
And I'm cool with laying low  
It's Saturday night and I'm staying home  
I'm feeling good for the first time  
It's been awhile since the last time  
I'll wave goodbye when you say hello

I'm sick of the sleepless, never ending nights  
I just don't care who is wrong or right  
I'm sick of the rumors and the alibis  
You tear me up, I'll cut you down to size  
So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
Sick of all of your little lies  
So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
Sick of all the girls by your side  
What you don't know is how  
Great it feels to let you go

About your game, it's so see through  
You know I'm way too good for you  
I'm moving on to the next time  
Dropped the baggage and I'll be fine  
With time to reminisce  
You're gonna realize you miss this  
You're on my mind for the last time  
And at the most you were a pass time  
I'll wave goodbye when you say hello

I'm sick of the sleepless, never ending nights  
I just don't care who is wrong or right  
I'm sick of the rumors and the alibis  
You tear me up, I'll cut you down to size  
So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
Sick of all of your little lies  
So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
Sick of feeling not by your side  
What you don't know is how  
Great it feels to let you go

I'm happier alone  
Take down your pictures and I'll throw  
Those memories out the door, I'm  
Sick of you, so sick of you  
Sick of all of your little lies

Sick of the sleepless, never ending nights  
I just don't care who is wrong or right  
I'm sick of the rumors and the alibis  
You tear me up, I'll cut you down to size  
So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
Sick of all of your little lies  
So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
So I'm getting on with my life

So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
So sick of you, whoa, whoa  
So, so sick of you, so sick of you  
So sick of you, oh whoa  
What you don't know is how  
Great it feels to let you go"

By the end of the song, Alvin was fuming. Brittany got off the stage and walked over to him with a smirk on her face. Alvin seethed, "How am I neglectful?"

"You forgot my birthday!" AJ cried and ran over to his mother, glaring angrily at his father. He saw the shock on his namesake's face. AJ sobbed as he talked. "And you haven't tried to talk to me since you and Mom got divorced! You've just been trying to make Mom feel bad! You don't love me, Daddy! You _hate _me!"

Alvin roared at Brittany, "You told him that?"

"What? No, I told him that you still love him—!" Brittany tried to protest. Alvin grabbed her bangs and punched her in the eye. She was down on the floor, covering the hurt eye with her paws. Alvin took one of Charlene's hidden knives and attempted to cut his ex-wife, but someone jumped in the way. That someone was AJ, and he got a cut on his cheek in the process. Jeanette got off the stage and ran to her sister and nephew. Everyone else in the family did so as well. Cheyenne and Victoria showed up as it happened.

"Let's go, Charlene," Alvin said to his assassin girlfriend. They walked out shamelessly. Brittany, now sitting up right, had AJ in her arms. Her son was crying into her chest. Someone gave her some ice for her eye, and Jeanette tried to clean AJ's cut, which was oozing with blood. A fluffy appendage squirmed its way into AJ's arms, and it was Victoria's tail.

AJ's voice cracked as he hugged her tail and said, "Thanks, Victoria."

"You're welcome, AJ. That's what friends are for," Victoria smiled gently at him. The two children made eye contact and AJ smiled back at her.


	10. Jehven

**Chapter 10: Jehven**

Later that night, Dave and Claire were at their house, and Dave was very, very angry with Alvin's behavior at the restaurant. Claire kept saying, "He's not a kid anymore."

"But he has a son who is! If he's trying to pull off the whole Peter Pan thing, it isn't working! That is _not _the son I raised!" Dave fumed. "And who was that with him, anyways? She looked like a biker chipmunk! Why was she carrying knives?"

"Dave, Dave, Dave, Dave!" Claire stopped him. "Look, I get it! You're angry! Who isn't at this point? Instead of wasting our energy fuming at Alvin, we should be focusing on helping Brittany and AJ through this. Your grandson needs you! There is still hope for him!"

"…You're right, Claire," Dave admitted with a heaving sigh. "I just can't believe that Alvin, as reckless as he is, would do that!"

"It's not about being reckless, Dave."

"Do you ever get tired of being right?"

"Mm…sometimes."

Meanwhile, at Theodore and Eleanor's house, all was peaceful. Until, that is, Eleanor randomly woke up and said, "162 Baker Street, apartment 2E!" She got up, ran out of the bedroom, went downstairs, grabbed the car keys, and only when she started the car did her husband wake up.

"Ellie?" Theodore called out. He saw the headlights of his car pull away. "Oh, man! My car! My wife! What is going on here?"

At Simon and Jeanette's house, the phone rang, waking them up. Simon picked it up. "Hello? Theodore, it's two in the morning. What is—she what? Where'd she go?"

"Where'd who go?" Jeanette groggily asked.

"Okay…uh-huh…got it. We'll be right there," Simon assured and hung up.

"What's wrong?" Jeanette asked.

"Your sister has gone berserk. We have to go pick up Theodore," Simon said to his wife.

"Berserk? Why do we have to pick him up?"

"Eleanor stole his car and drove off to an apartment."

"What? At two in the morning?"

"I just hope she doesn't plan on getting pregnant a fourth time. This is more insane than the other two times combined. It's ludicrous!"

Half an hour later, Simon, Jeanette, Theodore, and their kids (who had nowhere else to go that time of night) were standing in a doorway with a broken door and watching Eleanor as she was on top of Alvin with Charlene in a scissor lock. Alvin was screaming, "I think her baby kicked me!"

"You deserve it!" Eleanor screamed back at him.

"Can't…breathe!" Charlene rasped.

"I'll let you go when your body stops shaking! As for you, Alvin, you hurt my sister and nephew, and this is how I will get it off my mind!" Eleanor continued yelling as she wrapped her paws around Alvin's throat. Charlene weakly grabbed Eleanor's tail, but it was useless. She was so low on oxygen she couldn't do anything with it if she wanted…except for a quick yank. That is exactly what she did. Eleanor yelped in pain, releasing Alvin, but her legs were still tight around Charlene's neck.

"What do we do, Daddy?" Lucy asked Theodore.

"Relax, sweetie, there's one food your mother can't resist, especially when she's pregnant. I proposed to her while she was eating this specific food," Theodore assured. "Ellie, I have gumbo at home!"

Eleanor immediately released Charlene and got up for the gumbo Theodore spoke of. She smiled sheepishly, like a little kid. "Even after I was bad?"

"Brittany sent Eleanor, didn't she?" Alvin asked Simon and Jeanette.

"No. According to Theodore, Eleanor blurted out a random address, which made him stir in his sleep, and then stole his car," Simon protested.

"Which woke him right up!" Jeanette added.

"Yeah, right!" Alvin spat; not buying it.

"It's the truth!" Simon insisted.

"If I had a dime for every stupid thing you've done, said, or thought, I'd be the living embodiment of the economy!" Jeanette snarled.

"Since when did she get so hostile?" Alvin asked Simon.

"Can I have a cookie after the gumbo? Please!" Eleanor begged as Theodore led her out of the apartment.

"Not at two in the morning, honey," Theodore responded.

"Just so you know, she squirted an entire bottle of super glue in my—!" Charlene started shouting.

"Bye, Uncle Alvin!" a pajama clad Dominic waved to his uncle. Lucy held his other paw.

"What was that about?" Sadie asked as the rest of the family walked away.

"I don't know, Sade. I'm afraid I just don't have the answer to that question," Simon sighed. "It is way past your bedtime, you know."

"Can you please carry me, Daddy?" Sadie asked. Simon scooped her up into his arms.

"FYI, school is cancelled! Before we went to the restaurant, Charlene pulled a few strings!" Alvin shouted out the doorway.

Back at Simon and Jeanette's house, Simon checked the internet and saw that his brother was being honest when he said school was cancelled. It was on the website. School was cancelled due to sudden complications among the members of the board of education. Jeanette growled, "Charlene is worse than Alvin!"

Simon held Jeanette in a tight, passionate hug. He said, "I know she is, Jeanie."

"Hey, Si, I'm getting a little worried. Alvin has been sleeping with a hit man since he and Brittany got divorced. What if Brittany or—heaven forbid—AJ are Charlene's next targets?"

"Well, thanks to Eleanor, we have her address," Simon chuckled. Jeanette giggled at this. They got into bed and went to sleep.

The next day, due to the cancellation of school, Brittany decided to take AJ to the store. Jeanette had told Brittany of what went on at two in the morning. Brittany was disgusted with Charlene, but in a way, she was helping her. Thanks to Charlene, Brittany got to sleep in after a stressful show that took place the day before. Her eye still hurt. It was blackened and bruised. But she didn't care. Poor AJ was on her mind. Just AJ, but she was sent out of her trance when they were at the entrance of the store and AJ asked, "Mom, are you going to find someone new?"

"I don't know, baby. Mostly, I've been focusing on raising you. AJ comes first," Brittany told him.

"You need to take care of yourself, too! I want you to be happy, Mom!" AJ insisted.

"Thanks, sweetheart," she embraced him. They began shopping. In aisle 3, they encountered a male chipmunk, about Brittany's age, and he looked lost. "Is there something I can help you with? I shop here often."

"Oh, ah, yes, thank you," the male chipmunk spoke with a British accent. "I was looking for the vegetable aisle—my, my, I think I've seen you somewhere! Aren't you one of the Chipettes?"

"Yes," Brittany giggled shyly. She found his accent endearing. "I'm Brittany."

"It is truly a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jehven. I came from England to America not long ago to learn about American media firsthand," the British chipmunk introduced himself. He bent down to AJ. "And who do we have here?"

"I'm AJ," AJ said. He tried to turn his head so Jehven couldn't see his cut.

"Nice to meet you, AJ. Is he your son?" Jehven asked Brittany.

"Yes, he is, and he is such a brave little guy," Brittany said and kissed AJ on his uncut cheek.

"Oh? He looks like, um—what was his name—Alvin! He looks like Alvin Seville!" Jehven commented. AJ hugged his mother's waist as he was on the verge of tears. Jehven seemed guilty all of a sudden. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's fine. We've just…been having a hard time lately," Brittany answered. "You see…Alvin and I are…divorced. In the middle of the divorce, he left AJ and I for some other woman."

"That other woman shot my mom's foot!" AJ cried.

"Oh! She shot your foot?" Jehven asked Brittany. She bit her lip and nodded. "When?"

"Six months ago, the day we were getting divorced. Oh, my ex-husband has been such a pain! He gave me a black eye yesterday when he came to a restaurant my sister and I were singing at, and he also cut AJ's cheek," Brittany informed him. She just met the British chipmunk, yet she felt so comfortable talking to him about the divorce and what happened since then. Her phone rang. It was a blocked number. She muttered, "Alvin," and answered it. "What do you want? You forgot AJ's birthday and ruined my performance at that restaurant…wait, Ellie glued what part of Charlene shut? Oh, geez, that's just _wrong_! What? No, I didn't send her to do it! I don't care who or how you love, but it's not my problem anymore!" She hung up.

"Why did you answer," AJ asked.

"I was planning on telling him off about forgetting his only son's ninth birthday," she sighed and said to him. Her emotions were a total wreck. Jehven noticed this, and did the gentlemanly thing to do.

"Brittany," he said, "if you and AJ ever need anything just let me know. I know I just met you, but you seem like a wonderful, strong, and beautiful woman. You have well more than deserved a rest."

"Anything?" Brittany asked. "Like…even a date?"

"Of course! I'd be honored!" Jehven nodded. "Have you seen any other men since your tragic divorce?"

"No. I've just been keeping my mind on raising AJ that I haven't really been looking for someone new."

"Well, if you're willing to look, I'd like to be a potential partner to you."

"Well, then I'm glad I found you."

A few days later, Brittany and Jehven had dinner with Jeanette and Simon. Jehven and Simon were talking about string theory, and Brittany was surprised that Jehven was able to keep up with Simon. Jeanette asked, "So how did you two meet?"

"Oh, right, um, I took AJ to the store, and we saw Jehven in aisle 3. He looked lost, so I asked if he needed help, and then he recognized me from when we were teenagers. So, the conversation went on and I ended up telling him about the divorce. It's strange. Before I met him, you guys were the only ones I was comfortable talking about it with," Brittany explained.

"I feel Brittany deserves a break, or at least some companionship," Jehven simply said.

"You are so sweet," Brittany said and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Well, Brittany, I'm very happy for you and your new boyfriend," Simon claimed.

"Me, too," Jeanette added cheerily.

Meanwhile, Alvin and Charlene were spying on them. Charlene was saying, "Look at them, having a grand time. Oh! Here comes AJ…the new guy is wrapping his arm around him…everybody is laughing. AJ seems to like the new guy."

"Charlene, is the play-by-play really necessary?" Alvin asked. He felt hurt that AJ liked Brittany's new boyfriend so much. "AJ…"

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jehven. Simonette 4eva does. Thanks to Simonette 4eva for giving me the idea. On an unrelated note, it's my birthday. (Yay…not important. It's not long till my best friend's birthday.) **


	11. Eleanor Gives Birth

**Chapter 11: Eleanor Gives Birth**

Two of the greatest months Brittany has had in a long time went by. She was happy with her relationship with Jehven. He was so sweet and treated her like a goddess. She didn't have to go to bed angry or wake up feeling like a disaster. AJ seemed to like him, too. A week prior, she found out that Jehven was teaching AJ that soccer was referred to as football in other parts of the world. She was happy, and when she wasn't, when she thought of Alvin and wanted to cry, she had someone there for her. One night at the table, at about nine o'clock p.m., Brittany and Jehven were talking. AJ was in bed already. Brittany was saying, "You know, I promised myself that I'd be strong for AJ, but it often seems like he's the strong one looking out for me."

"That's because he loves you, Brittany, and he has the right idea," Jehven said to her. She, even after two months, still found his British accent enchanting. "He has great respect for you. After all, you've been trying so hard for him these past eight months."

"What if I'm not trying hard enough?"

"You're trying harder than you probably ever thought possible, Brittany. Look, you are a wonderful Chipette and an excellent mother to AJ. Don't stress yourself too much," Jehven took her paws in his.

"Thanks, Jehven," Brittany said softly. She let out a sigh.

"Don't think of the bad memories. You've had plenty of good times and are going to have plenty more."

"I know…thanks. It's just been a crazy time. Life is like…"

"A rollercoaster?"

"A rollercoaster!"

"Well, you seem to be doing just fine. AJ is a good kid, and must have been for a long time."

"He's always been a good kid. I guess, while I'm trying to hang in for him, he's trying to do the same for me. I wonder if he's traumatized by everything Alvin has done…he didn't have much of a party for his ninth birthday, and he was cut in the cheek by his own father the day after. The worst part his that cut was meant for me."

"He protected you because he loves you."

"He's so brave, it's almost ridiculous."

"But it is sweet nonetheless."

"Of course. I couldn't have asked for a better son," Brittany proudly claimed. "He has all his father's good qualities."

"If you ask me, he has all of yours," Jehven claimed. He looked her in the eyes more intently.

"Aw, thanks!" she thanked him. Their lips made contact.

"Mom, I can't sleep," AJ came out and informed her.

"Honey, I only put you to bed a half hour ago," Brittany said to him.

"I've been having nightmares lately."

"You have? What about?"

"I keep remembering your divorce. It keeps coming back into my dreams."

"Oh, baby," Brittany hugged AJ. "I know that was a hard day."

"I'm glad your foot is better."

"Me, too, sweetheart. Okay, AJ, let's go put you to bed again."

The next day, Eleanor was watering the flowers in front of her house, though a lot of the water ended up on the driveway. A chipmunk sized car pulled up at the curb. She was surprised when Charlene got out of the car. Eleanor asked with false sweetness, "Hello. How can I help you?"

"I'm actually here to help myself," Charlene informed her before lunging at her.

Theodore was inside the house when he heard his wife shrieking. "Ellie?" He ran downstairs to help Eleanor, tripped, got back up, and ran outside to his wife, who was sitting on the ground crying as Charlene pulled away. "Eleanor, what was Charlene doing here?"

"Forget her! My water broke! The babies are coming!" Eleanor cried.

"'Babies'? The twins are coming?" Theodore asked.

"Yes! Yes, I just said that! It was stupid Charlene!"

After driving his wife to the hospital, Theodore had some phone calls to make. He told Simon and Jeanette, "The babies are coming!"

"You're having twins?" Simon asked.

"Yeah. Just please act surprised when you get here."

"Eleanor's not due till next month," Simon stated.

"Charlene came by and while I was inside she broke her…uh…"

"Water."

"Yes, water. Thank you. Now we're at the hospital and my wife's in labor."

"We'll call Brittany, and then Dave. You just stay there."

"Of course I'm staying right here. Thanks, Simon."

"THEODORE!" Eleanor bellowed from her hospital room. "THEODORE!"

"I'm coming, Ellie!" Theodore declared as he scurried into the hospital room.

At Brittany's house, AJ picked up the phone. "Hi, Uncle Simon. You want to talk to my mom? Okay…" he covered up the speaker of the phone and shouted, "Mom, it is Uncle Simon! It sounds really important!"

Brittany took the phone from him. "Si? What's up?

"Your sister's in labor! She's having twins!"

"Twins?"

"Yeah!"

"She's a month early!"

"No thanks to Charlene."

"Charlene?"

"She came by and beat Eleanor earlier."

"What? Charlene hurt my sister?"

"Eleanor's alright. She's at the hospital and in labor right now!"

"Okay! Thanks, Simon. We'll be right there!" Brittany hung up the phone. "AJ, Jehven, my sister's in labor!"

At the hospital, Brittany, Jehven, AJ, Sadie, Jake, Jeanette, Simon, Dominic, Lucy, Dave, and Claire were outside Eleanor's hospital room. Theodore stood in the doorway, and Eleanor's screaming filled the background. Dave asked, "Is she okay?"

"TWINS, STOP FIGHTING IN MOMMY'S BELLY!" Eleanor hollered.

"I think. I'm so peeved with Alvin right now!" Theodore said and clenched his fists.

"You all think Alvin had something to do with it?" Claire asked. "He's hit some all-time lows, but he would never go as low as to sic his girlfriend on his pregnant sister-in-law."

"You mean he can go lower than cutting my cheek and hitting my mom?" AJ asked.

"EDWARD SIMON SEVILLE CUT THAT OUT! DAWN JEANETTE SEVILLE, STOP PULLING ON YOUR BROTHER'S TAIL!" Eleanor screamed at the babies in her womb.

"Did she just say 'Dawn Jeanette' and 'Edward Simon'?" Jeanette asked.

"At some point during the past eight months, we talked about naming the baby after our siblings. We came up with Taurus Alvin, Zoey Brittany, Dawn Jeanette, and Edward Simon," Theodore explained. "But after what Alvin did the divorce, she didn't want to use Taurus Alvin anymore."

"If the husband and sisters want, you may go in to see Eleanor," a doctor came out and approved. Brittany, Theodore, and Jeanette walked inside to room.

"Hi, Ellie," Jeanette greeted softly and gently took one of Eleanor's paws. Eleanor was breathing unsteadily and whimpering.

"It is okay, Elle, we're here," Brittany said while stroking one of her sister's pigtails.

"Oh, hi, sissies," Eleanor greeted softly. "I think they're fighting over who gets to be born first. You like the names we picked?"

"They're beautiful, Eleanor," Brittany claimed.

"They are. I'm sure the babies will be, too, once they are born," Jeanette agreed.

"Theodore, I lost track of time. How long have I been in labor?" Eleanor asked.

"Um…gee, I don't know. Sorry, honey," Theodore admitted.

"STOP IT, BABIES! YOU'RE HURTING MOMMY!" Eleanor screamed at her stomach. Sweat outlined her brow and matted her bangs to her forehead. "Geez, giving birth is so tiring!"

Several hours went by. In the hospital room, it mostly consisted of Jeanette, Theodore, and Brittany soothing Eleanor as she panted and groaned; claiming to feel the babies roughhousing in her womb, each trying to be the first one born. Outside of the hospital room, everyone was trying to keep their patience about them. AJ asked every now and again, AJ asked, "Have they been born yet?"

"AJ, they will tell us when the babies are born," Dave insisted.

"Come on, buddy. Why don't we take a short walk down the hall?" Jehven offered.

"Okay," AJ nodded.

"I'll go, too," Claire declared. She got up from a bench that she was sitting on, stretched, enjoying the sound and feel of her cracking joints. "I could use some exercise." After walking down the hall and back, nothing eventful happened until…

"Push, Ellie! You can do it!" Theodore cheered his wife on.

"Come one, Elle! You've done this before! You can do it again!" Brittany and Jeanette were saying.

After another half hour of this, a doctor emerged and invited them all in.

Eleanor sat in her bed, holding a baby chipmunk in a pink blanket. Theodore stood next to the bed, holding a baby chipmunk wrapped in a blue blanket. They showed the babies, Edward and Dawn, to Lucy and Dominic. Eleanor said, "Say hello to your new baby brother and sister."

"Hi," Dominic waved. Dawn was fast asleep, but Edward was cooing at him. This made Dominic giggle.

"They're beautiful, Mom," Lucy complimented almost inaudibly.

"You like your new baby cousins?" Brittany asked AJ.

"Yeah. They're super cute!" AJ said as he gazed at the babies in awe.

"They sure are," Jehven agreed.

"Maybe one day they'll be calling you 'Uncle Jehven'," Brittany giggled to her boyfriend.

"Jehven would make a good uncle," Theodore claimed.

"You really think so?" Jehven asked.

"Why wouldn't we?" AJ asked rhetorically.

"Welcome to the world, Dawn," Eleanor greeted as her new daughter opened her eyes.


	12. Breaking Up

**Hi, everybody. I know I just updated AJ's Story earlier today (at least today in this time zone), but I wrote this next chapter for all of you to read. Hope you like it. Thank you, one and all. I will hopefully update it again soon. **

**Chapter 12: Breaking Up**

Eleanor was in her hospital bed, happily snuggled up in bed with baby Dawn in her arms. Theodore said, "You did well, Ellie. You just had not one, but two more beautiful babies."

"You helped," Eleanor smiled at him. She looked over at her son, Dominic. "Dominic, you're a big brother now."

"I'm so excited, Mommy!" Dominic jumped up and down excitedly. His older sister put a hand on his head to make him stop bouncing.

"Aunt Ellie, who is the older twin?" Sadie asked.

"It was your new cousin Eddie," Eleanor answered.

"Eddie?" AJ repeated.

"That's Edward's nickname," Theodore explained. "Like your name is Alvin Junior, but we call you AJ."

"Oh. Okay," AJ nodded, showing he understood. "I just didn't know you were calling him Eddie."

"They are so cute!" Jake exclaimed in pure awe. "Last time I saw something so cute was either when Dominic was born or when a butterfly landed on Sadie's nose."

"That wasn't cute or funny!" Sadie insisted.

"Oh, it was pretty cute," Jeanette agreed with Jake.

"And funny," Lucy added.

"Mostly cute," Simon said and hugged his daughter.

Meanwhile, at Charlene's apartment, Charlene just walked in the freshly fixed door when Alvin asked, "Where were you?"

"Getting revenge!" Charlene grinned.

"On who?"

"Your sister-in-law," Charlene grinned even wider.

"What did you do?" Alvin asked with raised brows and wide eyes.

"I broke her water."

"Huh?"

"I forced her into labor," Charlene sighed and explained.

"Why did you do that? Theodore is the only one in my family who will actually still talk to me without screaming at me to burn to death!" Alvin demanded.

"You mean you don't remember what she did two months ago? She beat the snot out of us and glued my you-know-what shut!" Charlene explained her motives.

"You'd better hope the baby was born okay!" Alvin warned.

"Relax. I bugged the hospital room. Her new twins are fine, though they both wanted to be the first one out," Charlene tried to soothe.

"You bugged my sister-in-law's hospital room?" Alvin repeated.

"Yep. Hey, Al, do you want to have a baby with me? You know, to spite that trashy (expletive bleep; sorry for any complications, etc) that you call your ex-wife," Charlene offered.

"You're crazy! I'm not having a kid out of spite! And no one talks that way about my wife!" Alvin hollered. At that moment, a revelation hit him: he still loved Brittany. He couldn't be with Charlene, so he said to her, "And you're not my wife."

"We _are _in a relationship," Charlene reminded him.

"Not anymore! We're through!" Alvin said.

"And where will you go? You have no one in your family to turn to!" Charlene reminded sternly.

"There are some wrongs I need to right," Alvin said. "I'll go pack my stuff and I'll be out of your life."

Thirty minutes later, he had all of his stuff packed in a chipmunk sized duffel bag. He was about to walk out the door when Charlene cried, "Alvin, don't go!" He turned around with a straight face and said nothing except…

"See ya, crazy," Alvin said and continued to walk out the door.

The next day, at Brittany's house, Jehven looked distressed. Brittany asked, "What's wrong, honey?"

"My grandmother back in England has fallen ill," Jehven informed her.

"That's terrible!" Brittany gasped and hugged him.

"That's not the end of it, love," Jehven continued. "Someone needs to go back and take care of her."

"Wait, does that mean—?" Brittany started, but couldn't will herself to finish the question.

"Yes, love, it means that our time together is running out," Jehven answered almost as if he read her mind. "Those two months I spent with you and AJ were the most magnificent months I have ever experienced."

"W-when do you have to go?" Brittany asked; on the verge of tears.

"In a few days time, Brittany," Jehven answered.

"C-can we please save the goodbyes until then?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, of course we can."

Brittany sobbed into her boyfriend's chest. She hadn't been so upset since she learned that Alvin scheduled the divorce. She then realized something, "What do we tell AJ?"

"Tell me what?" AJ asked as he entered the room.

"Let me handle this," Jehven said to Brittany. He walked over to AJ and knelt down so they were eye-to-eye. "AJ, I just want you to know that you'll always be my best buddy. I had a wonderful time with you and your mum. But my granny is very sick right now, and I have to leave in a few days to go back to England to care for her."

AJ's ears drooped. The look in his hazel eyes was distressed and distraught, and they also showed disbelief. "Y-you're leaving?" He received a nod from Jehven. AJ cried, "You can't leave!"

"AJ, AJ, please try to understand. My grandmother needs me. I enjoyed every moment we spent together, but you'd do the same if your mother or grandmother fell sick, wouldn't you?"

After finally calming down a little, AJ nodded. "I hope your granny gets better, Jehven."

"Thank you, AJ," Jehven nodded. He gave the young chipmunk a hug.

A few days passed, and Brittany and AJ tried to make the most over it and fake a smile. Finally, the day arrived when Jehven had to fly back home. Theodore, Eleanor, and their kids, including the babies, were at the airport. Simon, Jake, Jeanette, and Sadie were there. Of course, AJ and Brittany were there, and all of them wanted to see Jehven off. After they wished him the best for his grandmother and promised to pray for his safety while flying, Brittany and AJ wanted to say goodbye one more time. Brittany was first. She hugged her boyfriend and said farewell. "Goodbye, Jehven."

"Goodbye, love. I hope things work out with you and your ex-husband," Jehven replied.

"Thanks. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too. Though parting hurts, it must be done. I hope I'll see you again."

"Bye, Jehven," AJ sadly said farewell.

"Now, now, AJ, you'll always be my mate. You're my little buddy. Don't be glum, chum," Jehven knelt down and smiled at him.

"Is 'mate' how they say friend in England?" AJ asked as he wiped away a tear.

"Often it is. Goodbye, AJ," Jehven said farewell and gave one last hug to AJ. "By the way, I know you'll win the heart of that girl you like."

"Thanks, Jehven."

Jehven disappeared in a crowd, and Brittany and AJ were left wondering if they'd ever see him again.

"Brittany?" a voice called from behind the family. It was none other than Alvin.

"Look, Alvin, I don't want any nonsense from you. I just said goodbye to my boyfriend who I don't think I'll ever see again," Brittany sighed and wiped a tear off her cheek.

"I know. I'm here to right some wrongs. It's over between me and Charlene. I finally realize that I still love you," Alvin claimed. He was holding a bad with red tissue paper in it.

"What's in the bag?" AJ asked.

"The birthday present I should've given you a couple months ago," Alvin replied. AJ reached into the bag and pulled out a red cap, perfect for the head of a nine-year-old chipmunk. Two letters were embroidered in it. An "A" followed by a "J".

"This is for me?" AJ asked. His father nodded.

"Eleanor, I just wanted you to know that I had nothing to do with forcing you into labor. I decided that I had to break up with Charlene when I heard about what she did to you. Were the babies born okay?" Alvin asked his sister-in-law.

"Yes, Alvin, they were," Eleanor informed him. She showed him her newborn daughter and Theodore showed him their baby son.

"Gosh, you guys, they're beautiful," Alvin stared in awe. "What are they're names."

"Dawn and Eddie," Theodore answered casually.

"And I wasn't sure how to thank Simon and Jeanette," Alvin claimed sheepishly.

"Thank us?" Simon repeated. "What for?"

"For watching out for Brittany."

"Well, she is my sister," Jeanette pointed out.

"And Brittany," Alvin said and took out a red velvet box. He got on one knee and opened the box, revealing a diamond ring. "Before I ask, I want you to know that I swear—I swear on my life—that I will treat you right this time. Will you please marry me?"

"…This isn't the place for a proposal, Alvin. There's another place I had in mind," Brittany told him.

"Where?" Alvin asked. "I'll go anywhere. Please, tell me!"

"The restaurant Jeanette and I sang 'Sick of You' at two months ago," Brittany answered.


	13. Charlene Goes Nuts

**Chapter 13: Charlene Goes Nuts**

They all arrived at the restaurant. Brittany folded her arms and AJ stood by her side. He was wearing the cap his father gave him. Brittany said, "Give me one good reason why I should take you back."

"Because this time, I will get it right. I even got this ring engraved to you! Here," he handed the ring to her. It said 'Brittany, I would describe how sorry I am, but mere words can only say so much'.

Brittany scoffed; still not convinced. "Would you live for me?"

"I'd die for you," Alvin said and got on one knee. "I'm in love with you."

"Would you spend forever with me?"

"Forever isn't long enough."

"What about AJ?"

"He needs his father, so I'm here."

"Would you do anything for me?"

"I'd do everything for you."

"You'd brush my hair and fur?"

"I'd love to!"

"You'd take care of me if I had the flu?"

"Absolutely."

"If I needed a kidney?"

"I'd give you both."

"But you need at least one kidney."

"I know."

"If I got my tail cut off?"

"I'd cut off mine for you."

"And if I wanted a new one?"

"Consider my tail yours."

"If I needed surgery?"

"I'd find top doctors to perform it."

"If you ever hurt me like that again, what would you do?"

"I'd drop dead with everlasting regret."

"Aw!" Brittany's sisters exclaimed at the beauty of the moment.

"Brittany, will you marry me?" Alvin begged.

"RAAH!" a figure lunged at them. The figure, which turned out to be Charlene, landed on AJ and pulled out a gun. "Say 'yes' and the kid dies!"

Before Charlene had the chance to move, Alvin and Brittany lunged at her and yanked her off of their son, and both of them shouted, "NOBODY HARMS OUR AJ!" It was at that moment when Brittany realized that she loved Alvin and that he meant every word he just said to her moments ago. Cheyenne and Victoria walked in when this happened.

"AJ!" Victoria ran over to her friend. The squirrel wrapped her tail around the frightened chipmunk.

"V-V-V-Victoria?" AJ whimpered. He was terrified. He had never had a gun held up to his head before. He was glad his friend was there for him.

"SOMEONE'S GETTING SHOT TODAY!" Charlene hollered as she struggled with Alvin and Brittany. She pointed her gun at AJ, but it was Victoria who screamed in pain.

Everything happened all at once. There were two gunshots. Victoria's leg and tail were gushing blood in an instant. AJ screamed, "Victoria!" He held the crying squirrel. Cheyenne and Jeanette ran over to them.

The police came and thanked Alvin and Brittany for holding off Charlene. As it would turn out, she was wanted in all 50 states and parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Alvin replied, "We're just happy our son wasn't hurt."

"I just feel bad that his friend-slash-crush got hurt," Brittany claimed and looked worriedly at AJ and Victoria.

"AJ has a crush on Cheyenne's daughter?" Alvin asked her. She nodded. She kissed him on the cheek. "What?"

"Yes," Brittany said with a happy look in her eyes.

"Yes to what?" Alvin was puzzled.

"Yes, I'll remarry you!" she told him.

Two days later, AJ was at the hospital, outside of Victoria's hospital room. She had just gotten the bullets removed from her leg and her tail. He was holding a flower for her. He went in when he was finally allowed to. He greeted, "Hi, Victoria."

She had a hard cast on her leg and most of her tail. She greeted softly, "Hi, AJ."

"How are you feeling?" AJ asked.

"Exhausted. In mild pain, but there's Tylenol in the draw of this nightstand if I need it."

"Victoria, I am so sorry that this happened to you."

"It is okay, AJ. It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is!"

"AJ, you couldn't do anything to change it. Don't be so hard on yourself!"

"…Okay, Victoria."

"Is that flower for me?"

"Yes," he gave the flower to her. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful, AJ! Thank you so much!" Victoria leaned over and hugged him. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, Victoria."

"I…I've always had a big crush on you."

"Really? _I've_ always had a huge crush on _you_!" AJ gasped in delight. He hadn't been so happy since she came to his birthday party two months prior.

"You have?" Victoria smiled. "I never expected that!"

"Me neither!" AJ laughed. "This is great! I'm so relieved!"

"Me, too!" Victoria giggled. "And I'm also glad your parents are getting back together. Do you think your dad will ask you to be the best man?"

"I don't know. I always though that if they ever did get remarried, one of my uncles would be the best man."

"I think he'll ask you."

"Would he really want a nine-year-old to be his best man?"

"Given that you're the nine-year-old in question, I have no doubt he will."

Meanwhile, Brittany and Alvin were giggling in their home. Alvin finally asked, "What made you say 'yes'?"

"Well, when I saw how intent you were on protecting AJ, I knew how much you really cared about him and getting back together with me. I wanted to know if you really cared about us."

"I did, still do, and always will," Alvin assured. Their lips made contact and sparks flew (not literally of course). "So when this crush of AJ's start?"

"Sometime last year. Simon was the first one he told," Brittany answered.

"Cheyenne's daughter, Victoria, right?" Alvin asked.

"Mm-hmm," Brittany nodded.


	14. The ReWedding

**Chapter 14: The Re-Wedding**

The following day, Brittany and her sisters went dress shopping. Eleanor claimed, "I never thought I'd be a bridesmaid again!"

"I never thought I'd be a bride again. After the divorce, I kept thinking I was going to die alone," Brittany stated.

"What about when you were dating Jehven?" Jeanette asked.

"I thought him proposing to me was too good to be true, and it was. I hope his grandmother gets better."

"Me, too," Jeanette agreed.

"Death to the puppet regime!" Eleanor yelled.

"You've already given birth," Brittany reminded her in a low voice. "Besides, people are staring at you!"

"I guess my hormones are still a little wacked out from giving birth to the twins," Eleanor explained. "They have the cutest cheeks!"

"You have four kids now. Is Theodore going to be okay by himself?" Jeanette asked.

"It's only for a few hours. Besides, Lucy promised to help him," Eleanor explained. "But man, the twins get hungry really fast!"

"How fast?" Brittany asked.

"Like 'heaven-forbid-I-put-one-of-them-down' fast," Eleanor answered. "I'm glad I bought plenty of baby formula for them."

"Ooh, geez," Jeanette said. "That must be tough."

"Sometimes, but they nap easy," Eleanor shrugged.

After an hour of searching, Brittany found the perfect dress. It wasn't a traditional flowing gown, but it was a white dress that went down to her knees. She showed her sisters. "What do you think?"

"You look beautiful!" Jeanette said supportively.

"It could be a little shorter," Eleanor shrugged. Jeanette elbowed her. "I meant to say 'amazing'."

"Let's go find some bridesmaid dresses," Jeanette said to her. They found some matching dresses that were white with bits of light yellow on them.

"You two look fabulous!" Brittany squealed in excitement. Jeanette twirled happily.

"These could be shorter, too," Eleanor claimed bluntly.

"W-what are you saying?" Jeanette stammered. Had Eleanor not liked the dresses?

"I love it!" the blonde Chipette quickly told her sister, not wanting to offend her.

Meanwhile, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were celebrating at Theodore's house. Theodore came downstairs and announced, "Okay, the twins are finally asleep. So, Alvin, who's going to be your best man?"

"Well, I was thinking…AJ would be my best man. I owe it to him at the very least," Alvin decided. After leaving his son for so long, he felt like he needed to give back and show AJ he still loved him.

"You do," Simon agreed. He was not sugar coating anything. Simon was being very straightforward about AJ and Brittany's pain over the past eight months. "Why don't you ask him now?"

"Good idea. AJ?" Alvin called up the stairs. His son ran downstairs. Alvin then asked, "How would you like to be my best man?"

AJ smiled and said, "Really?" When his father nodded, he cheered, "I'd love that!" Then he realized something. "What about Uncle Simon and Uncle Theodore?"

"We don't mind. Go ahead. You deserve it, AJ," Simon encouraged.

"How often are you asked to be the best man?" Theodore asked rhetorically and smiled.

"The kids are awfully quiet. I'll go check on them. You want me to check on the twins while I'm at it?" Simon asked Theodore.

"Please," Theodore nodded. Simon nodded at him and went upstairs. He looked at Alvin. "I'd better get out the baby formula before the babies wake up. They have huge appetites!"

"I wonder who they got that from," Alvin said sarcastically and smiled. It had been a long time since his brothers would speak to him in casual conversation.

"Probably Eleanor. She's been obsessing over losing all the weight she gained during pregnancy."

"I would expect so."

Several weeks later, Alvin and Brittany stood together at an altar. Her sisters were behind her, and his son and brothers were behind him. They exchanged "I do's" and sealed the deal with a kiss. When they broke the kiss, AJ got in between them, happy the family was whole again. AJ spotted Victoria in between her parents. Alvin whispered in AJ's ear, "Go get her, kiddo."

AJ smiled up at his father. He ran over to Victoria just when the dancing was about to start. He asked her, "Victoria…may I have this dance?"

"I don't know, AJ," Victoria hesitated. She looked down at her casted leg, and then back at her casted tail, and finally back to him. "I don't think I can dance with my leg like this, and I need my tail for balance, too."

"We can make it work. I'll hold you so you don't fall," AJ offered. "I promise."

"Okay…" Victoria finally accepted. She wore a light blue dress to match her eyes. AJ wrapped his arms around her, and she did the same. They swayed back and forth at a romantic rhythm.

"They look so cute!" Jeanette whispered to Cheyenne.

"Ah, nine-year-old romance," Cheyenne sighed. She was happy to see her daughter happy. Victoria looked so content in AJ's arms. "I've never seen Victoria so happy and comfortable with those casts on. AJ really is something amazing."

Brittany looked dreamily at her nine-year-old son and Cheyenne's nine-year-old daughter. She said jokingly to Alvin, "Look, we can see his tail."

"He looks good in that tux," Alvin nodded approvingly. He was proud to have a son like AJ. So young, yet so strong and dashing. And AJ had two whole ears, unlike his father, who had a notch in his ear.

"You know, he almost never took off the sweatshirt," Brittany told him. She remembered the night of the divorce when AJ was feeling hurt and angry. He had taken it off and threw it down on the floor, but then she had convinced her son to put it back on.

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. He really loves that sweatshirt. I don't think he'll let it go until he has a kid of his own to give it to."

"AJ…" Alvin smiled. Tears were forming in his eyes. He turned to his re-newly wedded wife. "I am the luckiest chipmunk in the world that you'd take me back, Brittany. I love you, and I promise I'll do it right this time."

"Me, too, Alvin. I love you," she hugged him.

"I love you, too, honey," Alvin hugged her back. "Let's try not to fight again."

"Deal," she replied and kissed him on the lips. He kissed back.

Not too far away, Jeanette said to Simon, "I'm glad your brother and my sister are back together."

"Me, too, Jeanette," Simon replied. To commemorate the moment, they rubbed noses.

Jake looked at his friend and cousin dancing together. They looked happy together-_very_ happy. He looked at his parents and asked, "Does this mean I'm a third wheel?"

"Jake, if it makes you feel any better, you'll always be my favorite wheel," Jeanette told him and put a paw on his shoulder. Jake smiled. He beamed at his mother through his glasses.

"Besides, if they start dating in the future, who do you think they will turn to in order to settle things if they ever have a fight?" Simon asked. Jake smiled.

"I can't wait for my first boyfriend to sweep me off my feet!" Sadie said ecstatically.

"That hopefully won't be for a few more years," Simon said as he looked into his daughter's lavender eyes.


	15. Big News

**Yes, people, there is more! Both Brittany and Jeanette each have big news! I wasn't going to end it at the wedding! No, no, no, no, no! I want this to last a little longer. I know you all do, too. So, here's the next installment.**

**Chapter 15: Big News**

One year later, AJ, Jake, and Victoria were all at AJ's house. They were getting ready to go for a walk together. Brittany advised them, "I know you're all ten now, but you can never be too old to be careful. Be back soon."

"Okay, Mom. We're only going around the block," AJ reassured her.

"I'll go with them," Alvin kissed her cheek.

"Okay, honey," she nodded at her husband. "But before you go, I have big news!"

"What is it, Aunt Brittany?" Jake asked.

"Well, Jake, your cousin AJ is going to be a big brother!" Brittany squealed. The three ten-year-olds looked at each other and made a silent agreement.

"Forget the walk! Tell us more about the baby!" they all begged her.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" AJ asked excitedly.

"I don't know, baby," Brittany smiled and shrugged.

"So Dawn and Eddie aren't going to be the youngest ones in the family anymore?" Jake asked.

"Nope," Brittany shook her head; her auburn ponytail whipping from side to side.

"That is so awesome, Mrs. Seville!" Victoria congratulated her.

"Thank you," Brittany smiled again.

"I'm not going to be an only child anymore!" AJ cheered. He hugged his mother. "This is great, Mom!"

"AJ, just to warn you, being an older brother is a tough job that may result in your younger sibling stealing your things," Jake warned. "Believe me, I know."

"He's right, AJ," Brittany agreed. "Your Aunt Eleanor and I fought over hair ties and accessories all the time. She once thought I took her favorite skirt, and it took me a while to remind her that I'm not a big fan of green."

"Do you think the baby will be jealous that Dad gave me his lucky sweatshirt?" AJ asked openly.

"I don't think so, AJ," Brittany reassured him. "I have to call your aunts."

Meanwhile, at Eleanor and Theodore's house, Eleanor was chasing her one-year-old daughter, Dawn, saying, "Dawn Jeanette Seville, get back here!" but the baby chipmunk kept crawling.

Little Eddie was crying in Theodore's arms. He said to his wife, "I wonder if Dawn would be as good a singer as she is a crawler."

"I wonder if Eddie is as good a singer as he is a crier. Theodore, sing that lullaby, please! Last time I sang it, one of them threw a Sippy cup at me!"

Theodore sang a classic lullaby, and Eddie finally stopped crying. Dawn kept her crawling pace and was giggling. She had blond hair kept in pigtails, like her mothers. Dominic walked by and almost tripped on his crawling baby sister. He greeted, "Hi, Speed Racer."

Eddie yawned in Theodore's arms. Theodore said to him, "That's my little boy. Yes, you are. Yes, you are!"

"He's not a dog, Dad," Lucy reminded her father. She heard the phone ring, and it was her original intention to get it. She picked up. "Hello? Hi, Aunt Brittany…you want to talk to my mom?" Lucy looked over at her mother, who was still chasing Dawn. "Um, she's busy chasing my sister around the couch, but I can take a message if you want…you are?! Oh, congratulations, Aunt Brittany! When is it due? Oh, okay! Great! I'll tell my mom! Bye, Aunt Brittany! Love you!"

"What did Aunt Brittany want?" Theodore asked.

"She's pregnant, Dad!" Lucy cheered.

"Brittany's having another baby?" Eleanor stopped and looked over at Lucy.

"Hurry for Aunt Brittany!" Dominic cheered. The phone rang again. Lucy picked up.

"Hello? Hi, Aunt Jeanette! You want to talk to my mom, you say," Lucy greeted. She then heard little Dawn squeal.

"Lucy, can you please pull your sister out from under the couch?" Eleanor asked and took the phone. "Hey, Jean…what? You're pregnant too?! Huh? No, I'm not pregnant again. Brittany just called and said _she _was pregnant! Oh, you know…she called you before she called me…right, her house doesn't have three-way calling. That is a real coincidence," Eleanor spoke to Jeanette.

At Simon and Jeanette's house, Jeanette was finishing up her call to Eleanor. "I know. I was shocked when she told me, and then I told her that I was about to call her and tell her _I _was pregnant!"

After wrapping the conversation up, she hung up the phone and looked at Simon, who was standing in the kitchen with her. She squealed and jumped into his arms. Sadie came in and asked, "What's going on?"

"You're going to be a big sister, Sade," Simon informed her.

"Isn't this great, Sadie?" Jeanette asked her.

"Yep! Can it please be a girl? Please!" Sadie begged.

"We can't control what gender it is, sweetie," Jeanette laughed a little and told her daughter.

"Are you going to go crazy like Aunt Eleanor was?" Sadie asked.

"No, but Aunt Brittany and I will have some weird cravings," Jeanette replied.

"Like what?"

"Hot fudge on toast. You loved that when you were expecting Jake!" Simon recalled.

"Yeah, I did. The thought of it isn't all that great, but given a couple months, that'll change," Jeanette agreed.

**I know. Kind of short, but you all now know the big news. Let's see how this turns out! By the way, two chapters ago, I hit over 100 reviews! That's my first story ever to have more than 100 reviews! Thank you, everyone! Please continue reviewing. I can tell a lot of you love this story! I guess you could call this another one of my unexpected twists. A few of you requested that AJ has a baby brother or sister. But no one requested Jeanette getting pregnant. So, there's the unexpected part. Trust me, it isn't over yet! I'll tell you when it is over! **


	16. School

**Chapter 16: School**

Jake was super excited for school, as usual. He greeted AJ at the bus stop, "Good morning, AJ!"

"Morning, Jake," AJ drowsily greeted.

"For someone who is going to be a big brother for the first time, one would think you'd be a little more excited."

"I'm sleepy."

"As usual. Is that the hat your dad gave you after you turned nine?" Jake asked. AJ nodded. "What'd he give you for your tenth birthday?"

"He gave me this; a picture of our parents at the International Music Awards," AJ took out the picture.

"Hey, there's my dad holding my mom," Jake pointed to his parents in the picture. "Your dad gave you this?"

"He told me it was his favorite picture. I was worried that my parents would get divorced again, and they gave me this to show me that they're love is long-lasting."

The bus arrived. Jake and AJ got on and walked over to Victoria, who was sitting in the three-seated side of the bus. She greeted them, "Hey, guys!"

"Hi, Victoria!" AJ greeted cheerily, happy to see her.

"Hey, Victoria," Jake greeted casually. They sat down next to her. He pushed his glasses up his nose.

"So, both your mothers are pregnant. This must be so exciting for you!" Victoria exclaimed.

"I hope the baby likes me," Jake mumbled.

"What's not to like?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah, Jake. You're a great cousin to me and a great brother to Sadie," AJ agreed.

"How do you feel about being a big brother, AJ?" Victoria asked.

"Me? Well, a little nervous, but I'm excited, too. Being an only child can get lonely sometimes," AJ answered.

During gym class, they were running on all fours. Jake muttered that it wasn't his favorite class in the world. AJ seemed to be enjoying it. Victoria, whose leg fully healed a couple months ago, managed to keep up. Their coach kept encouraging them to run when a man in a dark suit with a female chipmunk on his shoulder stepped out onto the field the students were running on. The coach demanded, "Who are you?"

The man in the suit smirked and said with a deep voice, "That's none of your concern."

The chipmunk turned out to be…Charlene. She wore the same evil smirk as the man whose shoulder she was sitting on. She sinisterly greeted, "Long time, no see, kiddies."

Victoria stepped behind AJ and held her tail in a cowering manner. AJ and Jake looked scared stiff. Their classmates, some human, some chipmunks and squirrels, weren't sure why the three rodents were fearful. But they all gasped when the man in the suit took out a gun. Charlene hopped down from his shoulder. She approached AJ, Victoria, and Jake. Before AJ could make a move, he toppled over after Charlene slapped him in the face. The young chipmunk flew eight inches away. Victoria gasped, "AJ!" and tried to rush to him, but something had caught her tail, holding her back.

"My, what a nice, fluffy tail you have here," Charlene commented with Victoria's tail in hand. She pulled out a knife and said, "I think I'll keep it for myself." She brought the knife close to the base of the squirrel's tail when it suddenly flew out of her hand and landed forty feet away.

A ferret with a rodent-sized rifle stood at the edge of the woods. Charlene was so shocked she let go of Victoria's tail. The little squirrel scurried over to AJ, who had a shocked look on his face as he gazed at the ferret. Jake was wide eyed, looking at the same ferret his cousin was looking at. The man in the suit aimed his gun at the ferret, but another squirrel, one several years older than Victoria, scurried up his body and bit his wrist. He yelped in pain and dropped his gun. She scampered back down and ran over to Victoria, AJ, and Jake. The older squirrel asked, "Are you kids okay?" All three children nodded. She gave Victoria a bright smile and said to the three of them, "I'm glad."

"Y-y-you?" Charlene stammered. "How?! That's impossible! You should be dead!"

"So should the Vipers," the adult squirrel countered.

"Vipers?" Jake echoed.

"That sounds like a gang name," Victoria commented.

"How dare you?! We are much more organized than a gang!" Charlene snapped.

"Organized?" AJ repeated. "I knew you were a hit man, but—"

"You better watch yourself, AJ Seville!" Charlene growled. "You've seen me angry! It's your fault your father broke up with me! He called me crazy!"

AJ recoiled in fear. The adult squirrel said to her, "They're innocent kids. Why don't you pick on someone your own size?! Or were the tales of the legendary hit man, Charlene, just rumors?"

Charlene growled. The man in the suit threw a smoke bomb to the ground. He and Charlene were enshrouded in a dark mist. When it cleared, they were gone. The older squirrel called out to the ferret, "They're gone, Sure-Shot!"

The ferret, Sure-Shot, slung his gun over his shoulder, came over to them, and said, "Too bad they skedaddled, Hazel. I was really looking forward to a little payback for almost drowning us. One of my perfectly good bullets is in the ceiling of that cave still. I'm sure of it!"

"What's going on?" Victoria asked.

The older squirrel, Hazel, smiled at her and softly said, "So this is my brother's daughter."

Later, at the end of the school day, Brittany, Alvin, Jeanette, Simon, Cheyenne, and Cheyenne's husband, Fred, were holding their children in the principal's office. The parents were happy to see that their offspring were alright. Hazel and Sure-Shot stood before them, and the six parents were wide eyed. Fred was the most surprised. "Hazel?"

"Hi, big bro," Hazel greeted Fred.

"Big bro?" Victoria repeated.

"Sure-Shot, we thought you and Hazel were dead!" Jeanette exclaimed.

"Allow me to explain. You see, Simon wasn't the only one who got a coma from that mission," Sure-Shot began. "Only our comas lasted a lot longer."

_Flashback…_

_The sound of roaring water filled the cave. Hazel and Sure-Shot were surrounded by snakes. Sure-Shot looked into Hazel's terrified eyes and said, "Go."_

"_What?" Hazel asked. She then watched Sure-Shot shoot several snakes with his machine gun. That created an opening._

"_Go!" Sure-Shot repeated, this time more forcefully. He didn't have to tell her a third time. Tears escaped Hazel's eyes as she ran. She looked back and saw Sure-Shot get slammed against the rocky wall of the cave. _

_The water came roaring through the cave. Hazel was tossed and turned through the tidal wave that filled the cave. She felt her lungs burn. She held air in her cheeks for as long as possible, but she lost consciousness. Somehow, she'd managed to keep that puff of air in her cheeks. It kept her alive until the water level in the cave dropped. _

_About two to two and a half weeks later, Hazel's coma…_

_Hazel felt trapped in the dark recesses of her mind. She felt scared. She wondered if Sure-Shot was alive. Then, she heard a voice. No, two voices. It sounded like Jeanette and Simon. They were alive!_

"_You know, Jeanette, she… kind of reminded me of you," she heard Simon say softly._

"_I know," Jeanette's voice cracked as if she were about to burst into tears. Hazel felt guilty to cause such woe and worry. They thought she was dead, and she couldn't show them that she wasn't. Did she really remind Simon of Jeanette? Jeanette was so soft spoken and sweet and kind. If Hazel was conscious, she would've blushed. _

_Sure-Shot's coma…_

_Sure-Shot was wandering the depths of his sub consciousness. He heard a voice yelp. It sounded like Brittany, as if she tripped over something…like his body. He then heard her say, "Poor guy. I'm glad the Vipers are disbanded. Aren't you, Alvin?" _

_But Alvin's voice did not respond. Was he dead? No, he couldn't have been. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been talking to him. Brittany then said, "You can't ignore me forever, you know."_

_Why was Alvin ignoring Brittany? It didn't matter._

_End of Flashback…_

"That was many years ago!" Brittany exclaimed as she hugged AJ.

"Yeah. You were in comas?" Alvin agreed and then asked.

"Yep," Sure-Shot nodded.

"All this time, I had an aunt, and I never even knew," Victoria said softly. Hazel gave her a hug.

"Well, this is a lot of excitement for a pregnant Chipette," Jeanette commented. "But I'm so happy that you guys are alive!"

"I'm glad your kids are alive," Sure-Shot responded.

"There's one thing that's bugging me. Who are the Vipers?" Jake asked.

"They were an evil organization that was established when your father and I were teenagers. They took your Aunt Ellie and Uncle Theo away from us for a while," Jeanette answered.

"They broke three of my ribs, and not too long after that, they beat me into a coma," Simon added.

"He was in a coma because he saved me," Jeanette was tearing up.

"It was then that your parents became wizards, Jake," Hazel told the boys.

"Wizards?" Jake and echoed. He stared up at his parents in awe.

"Yeah," Simon and Jeanette both nodded slowly.

"That's crazy!" Jake exclaimed. He wasn't sure what to think.

"Is your tail okay, sweetie?" Hazel asked Victoria. Victoria held her tail protectively and nodded.

"I didn't know Charlene was a Viper," Alvin spoke up.

"Now that I look back at it, she is skilled and ruthless enough," Simon reflected.

"I'm just glad my little sister is okay," Fred hugged Hazel.

"I'm glad your sister is okay, too, honey," Cheyenne said to her husband.

"So, is the baby a boy?" AJ asked Brittany. "Or a girl?"

"I still don't know, honey," Brittany told her son. "But Aunt Jeanette and I have some exciting news!"

"What?" Jake asked.

"Our babies are due on the same day!" Jeanette declared excitedly. Simon affectionately kissed her on the ear.

"It'll be a real coincidence if they were born on the same day," Cheyenne commented.

"That's what I'm hoping for," Alvin informed them. He put an arm around his wife. Ten minutes later, everyone was walking to their rodent sized cars. AJ, Victoria, and Jake spoke to each other as they walked. Victoria said, "Well, this was one heck of a day. I almost got my tail cut off and I met my aunt, who was thought to be dead."

"When Charlene was about to cut off your tail, what were you thinking?" Jake asked.

"I was scared out of my mind. One moment, I'm running for gym class, then, I'm stiff as a statue, and finally, I'm on the ground, not wanting to spend the rest of my life tail-less," Victoria answered with shaky breath. The boys put their arms around her shoulders as she hugged her tail in the same protective manner as before.

"I'm glad you're still in one piece, Victoria," AJ told her.

"Me, too," Jake agreed.

"Thanks, guys. I'm lucky to have friends like you," she softly thanked them. Victoria always felt blessed to have the boys by her side. She was so happy she cried in their arms. 


	17. Jake and the New Girl

**Chapter 17: Jake and the New Girl**

Theodore and Eleanor heard about what had happened at the school and felt the need to celebrate the children being unharmed, Sure-Shot and Hazel being alive, and the fact that Brittany's baby and Jeanette's baby were due on the same day. So there was a little get-together at their house. Jeanette had learned an interesting fact when she was a teenager, and she felt the need to share it. "You know, only four percent of all babies are born on their due date."

"Really?" Cheyenne asked. Jeanette nodded.

"I didn't know that," Fred claimed.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the kids played with Dawn and Eddie, who were now each a year old. They both had beautiful green eyes. Dawn had long blond hair pulled up into pigtails. Eddie had the same color hair, only not nearly as long. Their fur was also blond. Dominic often tried to get them to tickle his nose with their tails because they were so fuzzy. Victoria said, "They're so cute!"

"They are!" Sadie agreed. She then noticed Victoria was shivering. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Victoria nodded as she continued to shiver. "Just a little nervous. A little shaky."

"There's no need to be nervous. You have friends around, Victoria," Jake came over and said.

"I know," Victoria said with tears in her eyes, "but I've never been so scared until today."

"It's alright, Victoria. You don't have to be upset," AJ walked over to her and hugged her.

"Thank you, AJ," Victoria thanked him and returned the hug. She always seemed to calm down whenever Jake or AJ were by her side. "I-is it alright that I…cry?"

"Everybody does. Go ahead," AJ approved.

Victoria let it all out. She sobbed, "I'm just so scared and it feels like my emotions are all over the place!"

"It is okay, Victoria. It is okay," AJ told her and rubbed her back.

Jake gazed at his cousin and his best friend as they hugged right in front of him. Was he a third wheel? Victoria did look really upset, and he wanted to cheer her up. So he mustered up the little courage he had and placed a passionate paw on her shoulder and gave her a gentle smile. She smiled back at him.

"Are you guys in a love triangle or something?" Lucy asked as she held one-year-old Eddie.

"N-no," Jake stammered; embarrassed.

"What kind of question is that?" AJ asked.

"A bold one," Victoria said softly.

"I see Lucy has mortified the three of you," Sadie said and started to laugh. Jake glared at her. She high-fived her older cousin, Lucy.

The next day, at school, there was a new girl in Jake, AJ, and Victoria's class. She was a mouse and her name was Rachel. She wore pink glasses and had brown fur and hair. The teacher told her to sit next to Jake, who was blushing underneath his fur. AJ was tapping his arm, sending him out of his trance. AJ subtly pointed to Rachel. Jake greeted her softly, "H-hi. I'm Jake."

"Nice to meet you, Jake. The teacher already told you this, but I'm Rachel," she introduced.

"Oh, it seems you already made a new friend, Rachel, and with Jake Seville, one of my star pupils," the teacher commented, delighted to see that Rachel and Jake exchanged introductions. "You have an excellent taste in friends."

So, at lunch, Jake invited Rachel to sit with him, AJ, and Victoria. Rachel said to Jake, "Thanks for inviting me to sit with you!"

"Y-you're welcome. Anytime," Jake replied nervously.

"You're pretty sweet, Jake," Rachel complimented him.

"Thank you," Jake thanked her while blushing beneath his fur. AJ and Victoria exchanged glances and silently agreed that Jake liked Rachel. He had the nervousness of his parents.

"So, how did the three of you meet?" Rachel asked.

"W-well, you see, AJ is my cousin and Victoria has been our friend since we were babies," Jake explained.

"Really? That's cool. So, you've known each other for a really long time," Rachel said. She was awe-struck about them being friends for all their lives.

"Yep. We're like the three musketeers!" AJ told her.

"Of course, having a fourth musketeer wouldn't be so bad," Jake suddenly said. "Oh, wait; it was my turn to get napkins. I'll be right back!" Jake went to get napkins.

"You're cousin is pretty cute," Rachel said to AJ when Jake was out of range.

"You like him?" AJ asked.

When Rachel nodded, Victoria said, "You should. He's sweet, smart, compassionate, and funny. He's a keeper at age ten!"

"I'm back with the napkins," Jake announced. He counted the napkins. "Whoops, forgot one for myself."

After he left again, AJ said, "Well, we can tell he like you, too—a lot! So much that it'll be a miracle that he doesn't trip and land in someone's pizza."

"I think clumsiness is a cute trait," Rachel swooned.

"Okay, it's official. You two must be together! You're perfect for each other!" Victoria told her. "Tell him you like him before he falls on his face!"

"Hey, guys, I'm back!" Jake was back with the other napkin. "Rachel, I was wondering…d-do you want to hang out sometime?"

"I'd love to, and you have no idea how much," Rachel responded. An adult female chipmunk came over to them wearing a lunch lady uniform.

"I've waited too long for this!" the uniformed chipmunk seethed. Once again, it was Charlene making an attempt on their lives. She pulled out a knife and threw it at AJ, but it missed. It headed straight for Rachel, but Jake pulled her out of the way just in time.

"Are you okay, Rachel?" Jake asked.

"I am now," she answered.

Charlene grabbed Victoria's tail, but AJ bit her wrist. She hit him, and a patrolling police officer came up, picked her up, and took her away. AJ seemed unharmed by Charlene's hit. It was merely a slap. Charlene yelled from the officer's grasp, "I'll get you stupid kids, and your new mousy friend, too!"

"Someone has to shut her up!" AJ commented. He rubbed his currently sore cheek.

"Yeah, and as soon as possible," Victoria agreed as she stroked her tail. Jake and Rachel remained silent as they were in each other's arms, gazing into each other's eyes. Victoria looked up from her tail and asked, "Are you two going to kiss now or what?"

"We're ten," they both said simultaneously.

"Chipmunk and mouse. What combos will the world come up with next?" AJ asked rhetorically. He smiled at Victoria.

Later, the four of them were at Jake's house. Jeanette was impressed that Jake was able to save Victoria without getting himself hurt. Simon said, "I was able to save your mother, but not myself. You got the best of both worlds, Jake."

"And it is wonderful to meet you, Rachel!" Jeanette said to her son's new friend.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Seville," Rachel said shyly.

"So, now that you've been attacked by my dad's ex-girlfriend, it looks like you are our fourth musketeer," AJ told Rachel. The mouse let out a giggle.


	18. The Diary

**Chapter 18: The Diary**

Five months passed when Sure-Shot called everyone and told him some exciting news, he and Hazel were getting married. Over the past three months, Victoria got to know her Aunt Hazel a lot better. Plus, Rachel easily fit into the little social group she joined five months ago, which consisted of her now, and AJ, Jake, and Victoria. They all celebrated at Victoria's house, but Hazel wasn't there yet. Fred exclaimed, "First, my little sister turns up alive, and now she's tying the knot! Can it get any better than this?"

"Well, maybe if Charlene would just stop attacking the kids," Alvin suggested. "I don't know what I ever saw in her. She's a whack job!"

"You thought she was hot when you first saw her," Brittany reminded him.

"A sin I will always regret," Alvin assured and they kissed.

"Man, urination never felt so great! Okay, Britt, your turn," Jeanette informed her sister as she exited the bathroom. Brittany broke her kiss with Alvin and went to the bathroom.

"I'm so excited! I mean, sure she's five years younger than me, but by adulthood, does it really matter?" Sure-Shot asked rhetorically.

Rachel's parents, Matt and Tami, were also present. Ever since Jake saved their daughter from one of Charlene's knives, they had become fast friends with the rest of the parents. Tami agreed, "It really doesn't matter. A wise man once said 'love knows no age'."

"Who said that?" Eleanor asked.

"I wish I knew," Tami answered.

"So I just learned I'm having a boy. The doctor told me last week," Jeanette informed everyone.

"Good. I don't want anyone to rival my superiority over my brother," Sadie appeared and said teasingly.

"I heard that, Sadie!" Jake yelled from upstairs. "And I'm the _older _brother!"

"Go figure!" Sadie called back up to him. "I have Mom's eyes! Do you know how rare lavender eyes are?"

"Eye color has nothing to do with superiority, Sadie," Jeanette smiled and said to her daughter. "But you're right. Our eye color is pretty rare."

"Very rare!" Sadie smiled. "Besides, I always wanted a little brother. Given that Jake doesn't need my advice on how to get a girl anymore…"

"Yes, your son is a wonderful boy, Simon and Jeanette. You've been raising him well. Rachel always talks about him," Matt complimented.

"Thank you," Simon and Jeanette thanked him.

"Jake is just wonderful. He's courteous, comfortable around adults, and seems like a selfless boy," Tami told them.

"He takes after Simon," Jeanette said. She wrapped her arms around him. "The poor guy ended up in a coma for me."

"That's because I love you, sweetie," Simon said and kissed her.

"Oh, geez," Sadie shielded her eyes and walked upstairs.

"I hope my marriage with Hazel is half as good as yours, Simon and Jeanette," Sure-Shot said to them.

"That's so flattering! Thanks!" Jeanette thanked him when she and her husband broke the kiss.

"Just a word of advice, Sure-Shot. If you're going to have kids with her, make sure you have a good hiding place for your guns," Alvin advised. Sure-Shot gave him a thumbs-up.

"Did you say you were having a boy, Jeanie?" Brittany asked from the bathroom.

"Yeah," Jeanette answered.

"Oh. I'm having a girl," Brittany's muffled said. "Wow, this is a lot of pee!"

"Too much info!" Eleanor said, sounding disgusted.

"At least I didn't try to shoot my husband with a donut!" Brittany shot back.

"Guilty as charged," Eleanor sighed.

"What should we name our baby, Si?" Jeanette asked.

"Hmm…well, the other day, Alvin recommended Jayden as a name to me," Simon recalled.

"Brittany and I agreed that our little girl is going to be named Bridgette," Alvin told them.

"I thought you wanted to name her Alison," Theodore recalled.

"Well, I gave up on it," Alvin told him. "I wonder if AJ is excited about having a little sister."

"I'm sure he is," Brittany assumed and flushed the toilet. She washed her paws and emerged from the bathroom.

"You know, for some reason, Dominic can't say the word 'hooray'. When he found out Brittany was pregnant, he said 'hurry for Aunt Brittany'," Eleanor stated.

"I saw something on the news the other day. Charlene escaped from jail again. I'm worried about Hazel," Sure-Shot claimed.

"Why are you worried about Hazel?" Tami asked.

"Now that Charlene knows we're alive, we may become targets," Sure-Shot told them.

"Don't worry, Sure-Shot. You'll protect her. You were put on this Earth to shoot things," Alvin assured.

"Plus, if need be, we'll use the skills you two taught us when we were teenagers," Simon added.

"If you are going to shoot Charlene, can it please be between the eyes?" Brittany asked, "Or up her you-know-what?"

"Violent much?" Jeanette asked and raised her eyebrows. "Then again, that little assassinating piece of dirt did cause you a lot of pain."

"I just want to give her a good wedding!" Sure-Shot claimed. "I even have all my guns locked in a safe so people won't think I'm someone's father giving her a shotgun wedding."

"Who the heck is going to make that mistake?" Brittany asked.

"I won't," Fred assured.

"You look way to young and…ferret-y to be her father," Alvin informed him.

"Well, since I'm a chipmunk, some people find it hard to believe that Victoria is my daughter," Cheyenne reminded them.

"Oh, yeah. She's a hybrid," Alvin recalled. "AJ really likes her."

"She really likes him, too," Fred pointed out.

"Well, Rachel really likes Jake," Matt remembered.

"And Jake really likes Rachel. He even wrote a poem for her," Simon stated. "I read it. It was a cute poem."

"Aw! That is so cute!" Tami gasped at how cute it was that someone wrote a poem for her daughter.

"He's a really good writer. Maybe he'll be a song writer one day," Jeanette thought aloud.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the kids were playing. Jake and Rachel were reading a book together. Victoria and AJ were playing hide-and-seek with AJ's cousins, and as it would turn out, Rachel has two little twin brothers, Sam and Skye. They played hide-and-seek, too. Skye and Sadie always hid together, and yet, they were always the last ones found. They made a good team as it would seem. Rachel said as they were reading, "I think my brother likes your sister."

"I think vice versa," Jake replied. "Skye and Sam are twins right?"

"Yeah, but you can always tell the difference because Skye wears glasses like me...and you and your sister. Sam has 20/20 vision."

"Like the rest of my cousins."

"So, what are you lovebirds up to?" AJ asked them as he and Victoria walked by, looking for everyone else.

"Reading," Jake and Rachel answered, but neither of them noticed that they were holding paws.

Victoria walked past AJ, accidently brushing her long, bushy tail against his nose. He laughed because it tickled. Victoria turned around and smiled. "Come with me, silly." AJ followed her into her bedroom. Once in the bedroom, she took out a pink book with a lock on it. "I have never showed this to another sentient being. This is my diary."

"You're showing me your diary?" AJ tilted his head, the red cap he was wearing tilting with it.

"Yeah. Other than me, you'll be the first and only one to ever read it. Promise me you won't tell anyone about anything you'll read!"

"I swear."

"Good. Let me unlock it?" she said and pulled out a key from the drawer of her nightstand. She unlocked the diary.

AJ didn't know what to say or do. The love of his life was giving him all of her personal secrets, dreams, and ideas to read. Her deepest thoughts. He looked to her and asked, "Are you sure?"

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be showing it to you, silly," she nodded. She wrapped her tail around him as he opened the book. The first page was just her explaining that she was keeping the diary. He read, and read, and read, and felt like his cousin Jake. There was one part that caught his eye. It was about him. It said that she thought he was cute and sweet and brave to have dealt with his parents' divorce, and how sorry she felt for him when he received nothing from his father. And then, how his father cut his cheek. He skipped ahead to two months later; where she felt happy that AJ was unharmed by Charlene's bullets and that his parents were getting back together. She had also written about how she and AJ finally confessed their feelings to each other.

After reading that part, AJ realized that she wrote that while hospitalized for those couple of days. The next entry was about Victoria and AJ dancing at his parents' wedding. After reading a few more entries, he came across one that made her sound very scared, but the entry had a happy ending. It was about the day Charlene almost cut off Victoria's tail. She wrote: 'I have never been so terrified in my life! I was a second away from a life changing event: losing my tail. I didn't want to lose it. I love my tail! Almost as much as I love my family and AJ! Speaking of family, I met my Aunt Hazel today. She was supposedly dead since 2012 or something. But she's alive, and she's a spy! She and her spy partner, Sure-Shot, saved my tail (and possibly my life depending on whether Charlene wanted to end it or not)!'

AJ hugged Victoria, remembering how scared she was then. He read on ahead. He read about meeting Rachel and how Jake was head-over-heels for her. And about how Jake narrowly saved her life, just as his father did his mother many years ago, only without breaking his ribs or getting in a coma. She also wrote about how AJ saved her from Charlene by biting her wrist. He kept reading up to an entry of the day that was yesterday. It said: 'I'm going to do it. I trust AJ enough to show him everything I've ever written in this diary! I can tell he cares about me. I care about him. So, I am going to show him my diary. I trust you, AJ.'

AJ gasped at that last line. She had planned that page as a message to him. She trusted him with her deepest secrets. That's like trusting him with her life. Did he win her heart? Then, he remembered what Jehven told him. He told AJ that he believed the young chipmunk could win Victoria's heart. And he was right. AJ reached over and hugged Victoria. The hug was a tight, passionate one. AJ whispered, "Thank you." Victoria responded by kissing his cheek and returning the hug.


	19. Jake's First Nose Rub and Other Stuff

**Sorry for the long wait everyone! So here it is: the 19th chapter of AJ's Story! I hope you enjoy it! I sure enjoyed writing it!**

**Chapter 19: Jake's First Nose Rub and a Bunch of Other Stuff**

A few months later, the four rodent musketeers were over at Jake's house. Sadie was reading a _National Geographic _magazine, the only magazine she read. The four rodent musketeers were upstairs playing Trouble. Jake said, "So my mom was eating a taco last night."

"What's so interesting about a taco?" Victoria asked.

"It had mustard on it," Jake answered.

"My mom has been the same way! Just last week, she woke me up at eleven o'clock and asked me if I wanted to go to IHOP," AJ responded. "But that's normal compared to Aunt Eleanor when she's pregnant."

"That's so true. Lucy once told me that she went to bed one night and woke up in the back of her mother's car surrounded by paper bags from Taco Bell," Jake recalled.

"Oh, yeah! Your cousin told me that, too!" Victoria recalled.

"Sadie told me that story," Rachel informed.

"You know what my mom never tells me?" Victoria asked.

"What?" AJ asked her.

"She won't tell me what happened at her junior prom. She just said it was the worst night of her life, and it always will be," Victoria answered. "I wonder what happened. I know it involved her old boyfriend Mark breaking up with her, but that doesn't seem as disastrous as she was letting on."

Jake and Rachel leaned forward to look at the Trouble board, and their noses touched. They both gasped, but rather than pulling away, they rubbed their noses across each other's slowly, and rubbed faster and faster. They faster they rubbed noses, the bigger their smiles got. It was there and then that Jake finally understood why his parents liked to rub noses. It was an incredible sensation, unlike any other he has ever experienced. It was amazing! Truly amazing!

"Are you two done?" AJ asked. The chipmunk and mouse separated their noses from that of the other. Both of them were blushing under their fur as AJ and Victoria looked on. But Victoria wasn't focusing on her friends. Her head suddenly hurt. Her tail twitched twice. Strange images of her and her friends in the hospital flashed through her mind. So did images of Charlene's psychotic smile. It all happened so fast she didn't know what to make of it. Her blue eyes were wide with fear. AJ asked, "Are you okay, Victoria."

"I…I saw something," Victoria gasped, "but I'm not sure what I saw. It was really weird. It was like I had some kind of vision."

"I just remembered something!" AJ gasped with recollection. "Remember when your mom said she was psychic? You must be psychic! And Jake, you and Sadie could be wizards. I could even be a wizard since my dad told me he and my mom were wizards! They were supposedly trained by a great warrior! This is so cool!"

"Sounds like your dad hit his head. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to be casting spells," Victoria told him. "Besides, if we are wizards, this could be dangerous!"

Over the next month, Jake and Victoria discovered that they really did have magic powers. Victoria had learned to levitate objects and Jake could control water and fire. After being frustrated that he had no magical powers yet, AJ said, "Maybe I should take up fencing."

"The guy who trained my parents back when they were teens was supposedly good with a sword," Jake informed him.

Several days later, Brittany and Jeanette had gone into labor. AJ could hear Brittany screaming at Alvin, "IT'S YOUR FAULT I'M IN SO MUCH PAIN! I LOVE YOU ANYWAYS!"

"You can love me later! Just push your daughter out! You've done this before, Britt! And this time, we're in an actual hospital!" Alvin supportively yelled back.

"Ooh, Simon, it hurts!" Jeanette whined. Simon tightly held her paw in his.

"I know it does, honey. Don't worry. I'm right here," Simon assured.

A few more hours of that and the babies were finally born. They were born at the same time on the same day. So, the entire family agreed to call them the twin cousins. Alvin guided AJ, Jake, and Sadie to their new siblings. Brittany introduced her son to his baby sister, Bridgette. She then said, "Congratulations, AJ. You're no longer an only child."

AJ gasped, "She beautiful. I…have a beautiful baby sister."

Meanwhile, Jake and Sadie were being introduced to their baby brother. Jeanette softly spoke, "Sadie, Jake, meet your new little brother, Jayden."

"Oh my gosh! He's so cute!" Sadie whispered.

"You know what this means, Sade," Jake told his sister. "You're the—"

"I know. I'm the middle child," Sadie grumbled.

"But we don't love you any less," Simon assured. "Now where's Daddy's little girl?"

"Right here!" Sadie held out her arms. Simon picked her up.

Jake continued to smile at his new baby brother. Jeanette said to her eldest son, "Do you like him?"

"He's so cute! He's amazing! My baby brother Jayden," Jake whispered in awe. "Welcome to the world, little brother."

Meanwhile, at the town's jail, there was a hole busted in the jail's wall. Charlene was screaming, "Free at last! Free at last! Oh, I'm finally free at last! Prepare to die, AJ Seville, because I'm-a coming for you and your stupid, snot-nosed friends! Ha-ha!" Clearly, she was giddy as a hummingbird having a sugar rush. She started yelling something about high-fructose corn syrup and crawled her way under the jail fence.

Within four weeks, Hazel and Sure-Shot were getting ready for their wedding. They were very nervous. By the time their wedding day arrived, they had triple-checked a double-checked mental checklist. Everything seemed to be in order. The priest who married them was very straightforward, as he started with the I-do's. He said, "Do you, Hazel, take this…ferret to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Hazel promised.

"And do you…you said your name was Sure-Shot?"

"Yes, sir," Sure-Shot nodded. "And yes, I do take Hazel to be my lawfully wedded wife. May I kiss the bride?"

"Come here, you!" Hazel wrapped her arms around her new husband and started passionately kissing him.

"You see, Jayden? This is a wedding," Jeanette told her infant son in baby talk. Jayden had his mother and sister's lavender eyes. He cooed at his mother and reached for her glasses. "No, no, these are Mommy's glasses. Mommy needs them to see, baby."

"I OBJECT!" Charlene leaped into the church with a knife in each hand. She fell on her face. When she got back up, she slurred, "Is the ceremony over? It would men nothing if I just ruined the reception. I gotta ruin the ceremony."

"I'd curse at you, but my ten-year-old and one-month-old would hear me," Brittany rasped at Charlene, who wasn't far from the pew she sat in. She held Bridgette in her arms. Bridgette had Alvin and AJ's hazel eyes, but Brittany's auburn hair and fur. Alvin placed a paw on his wife's shoulder.

"Alvin had a baby, and it's not mine?!" Charlene demanded when she regained her senses.

"Did that come out backwards?" Alvin whispered to his wife.

Then, they all heard sirens come from outside. Charlene cursed, broke a stain glass window, and jumped through it. She then screamed, "I'LL GET YOU!"

"What a psycho!" AJ exclaimed.

"That was Daddy's ex-girlfriend, Bridgette. She's a naughty lady," Brittany spoke to her daughter in baby talk.

"What do we have to do to get her to leave us alone? Kill her?" Alvin asked. His wife gave him a pleading look. He then said, "I may hate her, but I'm not sinking to her level. We're not going to kill her."

"Oh, pooh!" Brittany griped. She sniffed and held Bridgette to her nose. "Speaking of which, I think baby made a stinky." Bridgette cried to confirm that. So Brittany took her to the church bathroom to change her diaper.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Dad," AJ turned to his father and said.

"Yep. You, me, and the rest of the people who came to the wedding, big guy," Alvin agreed.

"When will Charlene leave us alone?" AJ asked.

"I don't know, Junior," Alvin answered.

Meanwhile, Victoria looked at the broken stain glass window, thinking of what she saw in her vision a while back. Was Charlene really going to put her, AJ, Jake, and Rachel in the hospital? How badly would they be injured? Could her newfound powers save her and her friends? She just had no idea whatsoever what to think. So she nervously held her tail in her paws and buried her nose in its fluffy fur.

"Are you alright, Victoria?" Cheyenne asked her daughter. She could tell she was worried.

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm just…a little freaked out," Victoria simply stated.

"Did Charlene scare you?" Hazel asked as she knelt down next to her niece. Victoria nodded and Hazel hugged her. Victoria shivered in Hazel's arms. She shivered with cold fear and anxiety.

"I just wish she'd go away!" Victoria sobbed. Cheyenne put a paw on her daughter's back. The threads were thin, so she could see through the back of the torso. She saw the evidence that her daughter was half-chipmunk; two white stripes went down Victoria's back.

"It'll be okay, sweetie," Cheyenne assured. "Charlene will have to give up eventually."

Charlene had escaped to the sewer nearby the church. There, she encountered a snake. The snake greeted, "Hello, Charlene."

Charlene smiled. "Thank goodness I found you, Hernando."

**So, first things first, if you want to know what happened to Cheyenne at her junior prom, you should read my new story, Broken Hearts and Betrayal. Next… (Gasp!) Hernando, a former Viper agent, has made contact with Charlene in the sewers! What will happen to AJ and his friends? **


	20. The Last Stand

**Here it is: the last chapter! Don't worry, though! I plan to sequel this. But for now, enjoy! This is hopefully the most emotional chapter.**

**Chapter 20: The Last Stand**

Together, Charlene and Hernando formulated a nasty plan to get rid of AJ, Victoria, Jake, and Rachel for good. Let's just put it like this; Charlene gets her revenge and Hernando gets four snacks.

With the children, all was calm and quiet. They all took a walk in the nearby park. Jeanette, Simon, Alvin, and Brittany, as well as the babies and Sadie were with them, but they seemed to have disappeared, and they kids didn't notice. Jake and Rachel stopped to rub noses every five feet. Victoria seemed unusually tense. She cuddled with her tail as she walked. AJ finally asked her, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just kind of nervous," Victoria answered in a melancholy manner. She wore a beautiful ice blue skirt and an ocean blue tank top. Both seemed to go very well with her crystal blue eyes.

"Is it because we learned about puberty in health?" AJ asked. For the first time all day, Victoria laughed.

"No," she stopped laughing and sighed. "But that does seem kind of scary."

"So why are you really nervous?" AJ asked her. He seemed interested after learning that her fear wasn't puberty.

"Remember when my mom said she was psychic at your ninth birthday party?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah," AJ nodded, having an idea about where their conversation was going.

"Well, it looks like I inherited it. I had the worst vision before my Aunt Hazel's wedding," Victoria stated, on the verge of tears. She buried her nose in the fur of her tail. AJ didn't say anymore because he didn't want to upset her. He just put his paw on her shoulder and gave her a gentle smile. A sudden wind picked up and AJ held onto Victoria. Jake and Rachel held each other. After several leaves blew by, Charlene was revealed to be standing in front of them. They all screamed and turned around, but a large snake was in their way.

"Mm, s-s-s-such delicious-s-s-s-s looking prey," the snake hissed.

"Not yet, Hernando," Charlene told the snake.

"Leave us alone!" AJ yelled at Charlene. She grabbed him by the throat.

"And what makes you think I would do that? You're the one who ruined my relationship with your hot daddy," she snarled at him. She threw him to the ground. She then kicked the little chipmunk in the chest. Then, she grabbed him by the hood of his sweatshirt and punched him in the eye. He cried, and she punched him in the nose. He received a kick to the stomach. She spit on him rubbed his face on the sidewalk. She stomped on his arm, breaking it. Then, she snapped her fingers and several men in black suits appeared out of thin air.

"We Viper agents are very quick, aren't we?" Hernando asked. Jake and Rachel were soon surrounded by mousetraps, one of which clamped itself on Rachel's tail. He lunged at Jake, who somehow managed to barely dodge, getting the sleeve of his sweatshirt torn off by one of Hernando's upper fangs. He was picked up by the hood of his sweatshirt and thrown to the ground repeatedly. After knocking battered AJ unconscious, Charlene lunged at Victoria. A human Viper stomped on her tail, and she shrieked out in pain as the bones in her long and fluffy appendage let off a loud and harmonic crunch. Charlene punched her cheeks and yanked on her hair. Then, Victoria was hit in the nose. Blood gushed from it. Her blue eyes were filled with pain. But that wasn't the end of it. Charlene began to bite her ear. She took out a scorching hot piece of metal from her jacket pocket and burned the young squirrel's arm.

"AJ!" Alvin's voice called out. He, his wife, his brother and sister-in-law, as well as his daughter, niece, and nephew were running towards the ring of Vipers. He spotted his ex-girlfriend. "Charlene?! What did you do to AJ?!"

"Forget that piece of crud! He's a pointless little kid! Just like you, you overgrown fool!" Charlene snapped.

"What…did…you…just…call…my son?!" Alvin asked; enraged.

"Get your hands off my niece!" another voice snapped from behind Charlene. Hazel darted at the assailant, hurled her off of Victoria, and Sure-Shot shot the human Viper agent in the foot. He lifted his foot from Victoria's crushed tail.

Brittany tried to process what happened. First, they were all walking through the park when a ring of snakes separates them from her son, her nephew, and their two friends. The foursome didn't notice. Then, they got jumped by Charlene and some human Vipers. The strangest part was that the Vipers were disbanded years ago. But when the ring of men in dark suits broke apart, all she could focus on was getting to AJ while not dropping Bridgette. She cried at the sight of him. He was unconscious, blood was gushing from his nose, and his eye was bruised black. His whole face was a collection of scrapes. She could tell that Charlene broke his arm.

Speaking of Charlene, she looked exhausted after wrestling with Hazel. Sure-Shot held up his gun and said, "Hey, Charlene! How about one of my 38 caliber pain pills? You won't feel a thing after this!" He pulled the trigger, and Charlene dropped to the ground. "The great Charlene is dead!" One black suited man kicked Rachel in the back before he fled, knocking the wind out of her. All four beaten children were unconscious. Alvin walked over to AJ and picked him up. Sadie helped Simon pick Jake up off the ground, and Hazel retrieved her niece, while Sure-Shot picked up Rachel, because no one else seemed to be able to. He shot the hinge of the mousetrap, releasing the mouse. They all drove to the hospital and called Rachel and Victoria's parents.

At the hospital, Dave, Claire, Matt, Tami, Cheyenne, and Fred had joined those who had saved the children at the park. AJ seemed to be the most injured of all. Rachel was the first to awaken. She looked at her friends and gasped. "Oh, no! Jake! What happened?!"

"My stupid ex-girlfriend happened," Alvin answered. He was watching over AJ. He was sitting intently at his son's bedside as tears rolled down his face. "I'm so sorry, Junior. I can't believe I let this happen to you, after I tried so hard to make the divorce incident up to you. I'm sorry, AJ! I'm sorry!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Al," Brittany tried to soothe her husband, but she was just as concerned as he was. Even baby Bridgette looked worried.

Jake was the next one to wake up. He woke up to look at his younger sister, baby brother, father, and mother smile at him. Jeanette stroked the back of his head while Simon put a paw on his shoulder. Sadie gave him a hug, and somehow baby Jayden ended up in his arms. He looked over at Rachel, who smiled at him. He smiled back.

Fred, Cheyenne, and Hazel gasped as Victoria's eyes fluttered open. The little squirrel was informed that nearly every bone in her tail was broken and the entire appendage would need to be put in a cast. She asked, "Is AJ okay?" No one verbally answered her, and all eyes were suddenly on AJ, who was still asleep.

"Please wake up," Brittany begged in whisper. It was the loudest she could speak without bursting into tears. "Please, AJ, wake up."

"Okay, we're here!" Theodore announced as he and his family entered the hospital room.

"What happened?" Eleanor asked. She gasped at the sight of her sisters in tears.

"The kids were hurt and AJ won't wake up!" Brittany sobbed. Lucy and Dominic climbed up onto the hospital bed to see their cousin.

"AJ?" Dominic said his name.

"He looks terrible! Who did this?" Lucy asked.

"That stupid Charlene!" Alvin growled. Why did he ever date her? This would never have happened if he hadn't filed for the divorce long ago.

"AJ, please, don't die on us," Victoria mouthed. She prayed that he was alive. Her eyes widened as she saw him slowly wake up. She nearly screamed then, "He's alive!"

"Ugh! Why does my body hurt? Has puberty started early?" AJ asked drowsily. Everyone cried tears of joy and laughed at his question. AJ groaned, "My arm! What happened?"

"Charlene attacked you, AJ, but don't worry. She'll never bother you ever again," Alvin promised. This promise he knew he could keep.

"Oh, AJ!" Brittany cried. She hugged him gently with one arm, since she was holding Bridgette with the other.

"Mom, Dad, don't cry," AJ requested softly.

So, it took a month or two for the children's injuries to heal, but everything turned out okay. AJ was happy his family was whole and Charlene was gone for good. Though Bridgette often had the tendency to teethe on him. He had his cousin, Jake, at his side. He loved Jake like a brother. Then there was Rachel, a fast friend he and the others had made. Victoria, last but never the least, was the greatest friend he ever had. Their parents made them wait until they were 12 to start dating each other, but they would've made them wait until they were 13 for any other guy or girl. After his family overcame some rough spots, he learned to love life while he could live it, and he was pretty young to learn such a lesson. This was AJ's Story.

**Me: So that was the end. But, like I said, I have a plan (or an outline, maybe. Depends on your point-of-view). Thank you everyone for your support! It was a wonderful experience to write this, and I was very surprised by its great success and all of the reviews! So, here's a very special guest who'd like to say thanks. AJ?**

**AJ: Thank you, Ranger. Everyone, I just wanted to say thanks for your reviews. I'm very happy that my name was in most of them, and that you all had hoped for the best for me. In the sequel, Pokémon Ranger-Trainer said that he wanted to write about my baby sister as a 16-year-old.**

**Sadie: (fake cough) Spoiler alert! And her twin cousin, my baby brother, Jayden, will be in it, too! Gosh, he's so cute! **

**Dawn: (crawls out, giggles happily)**

**Eleanor: Baby, get back here! Oh, goodness! Sorry to interrupt.**

**Sadie: Hey, Ranger, when will the next story be out?**

**Me: I have to write it first, Sade. Soon, though. I think. I hope.**


End file.
